Healthy relationships: Celebrate Women’s History Month and support survivors in Centre County
Women’s History Month is an annual observance to highlight the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. Celebrated during March in the United States, Germany and Australia, corresponding with International Women’s Day on March 8, it allows us to reflect on the women and other individuals who have helped shape our lives.
In the United States, Women’s History Month traces its beginnings back to the first International Women’s Day in 1911. A call to move beyond a single day and honor a National Women’s History Month to be built around International Women’s Day followed years later.
In 1981, responding to the growing popularity of Women’s History Week, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Rep. Barbara Mikulski, D-Maryland, co-sponsored the first Joint Congressional Resolution proclaiming a Women’s History Week. Congress passed their resolution as Pub. L. 97-28, which authorized and requested the president to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982, as Women’s History Week.
Throughout the next several years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as Women’s History Week. Schools across the country also began to have their own local celebrations of Women’s History Week and even Women’s History Month. By 1986, 14 states had declared March as Women’s History Month.
Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the president to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month. Within a few years, thousands of schools and communities began to celebrate the month.
What does this month mean to you? For myself, I love to consider the women who have helped shape me into the woman I am today — my mother and my two older sisters, specifically. I also like to think about what specific things I can do to not just support women but to be someone others can trust and rely on. I want to continue growing into the type of person others can turn to when they need help, when they need a helpful ear or shoulder.
Honor victims and survivors by attending benefit concert April 4
The month also poses a fantastic opportunity to support women and others by honoring the strength and resiliency of all victims and survivors and learning more about the critical and life-saving work of organizations like Centre Safe. We are honored to be celebrating our 50th anniversary and are continuing our celebrations by lifting up victims and survivors. Join us at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 4 for “In Full Voice: A Benefit Concert Honoring Survivors.”
Held at Freeman Auditorium at the HUB-Robeson Center on Penn State’s University Park campus, In Full Voice is framed to be a beautiful concert uplifting the voices and experiences of survivors of sexual assault all while raising critical funds for Centre Safe. This special evening also honors two major milestones, Centre Safe’s 50th anniversary and R-VOICE’s 40th anniversary, recognizing decades of advocacy, support and empowerment within the State College community.
Sponsored by Centre Safe, R-VOICE, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR), and Garbrick-Shadle Insurance, this concert is a meaningful opportunity to support survivors, celebrate resilience and come together through music for a powerful cause.
Artists include: Hannah Bingman The Groove Society Natascha & The Spy Boys One Acre West Penn State WORDS Penn State Savoir Faire
All ticket proceeds benefit Centre Safe’s 50th Anniversary Fund, which has been established to ensure Centre Safe gets to spend the next 50 years and beyond strengthening the safety net for thousands of victims and survivors throughout Centre County and beyond.
Buy tickets for the concert at psu.crowdchange.co/56003. You can learn more about Centre Safe’s 50th Anniversary Fund at www.centresafe.org/50th-anniversary-fund/.
Jennifer Pencek is the executive director of Centre Safe. Learn more about Centre Safe at www.centresafe.org. Our 24/7 hotline is toll-free at 877-234-5050.