The month of March is typically dedicated to honoring mighty women and shining a light on the impactful ways they have brought change and contributed to the improvement of equal rights through the ages.

Women’s History Month is celebrated across the U.S. and around the world and corresponds with International Women’s Day (March 8). International Women’s Day has been observed since the early 1900’s when oppression and inequality were spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change.

Women’s History Month is a national celebration of the contributions women have made to the United States. It was created to recognize the specific achievements women have made in American history in a variety of fields.

Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate the unique experiences and successes of women throughout the past. And you might not realize it, but every Woman’s History Month has a theme. 

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.’

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Achim Steiner in a statement said, “As countries and communities start to slowly recover from a devastating pandemic, we have the chance to finally end the exclusion and marginalization of women and girls. But to do that, we need immediate action. Women must have the opportunity to play a full role in shaping the pivotal decisions being made right now as countries respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Some women who deserve to be celebrated this month include Zimbabwe’s Tony Award-nominated writer Danai Gurira who made the leap from storyteller to Hollywood celebrity. She desires to bring African faces and vocal sounds to Broadway through her acting, but ended up starring in the mega-hit “Black Panther.”

BET Africa honors International Women’s Month by premiering South Africa’s Queen of song and dance Busiswa Gqulu‘s reality TV program, “Her Majesty“, which stars the strong Queen of dance and music icon. It will air on BET Africa on Saturday, March 20th. The reality show is BET Africa’s third original local celebrity reality show.

In other countries such as Kenya, the Ministry of Defence recently celebrated the International Women’s Day-themed “Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World”. Kenya’s Ministry of Defence adopted the theme “Choose to Change” in line with the ministry’s gender mentoring program to celebrate women in the security sector.

My Age Zimbabwe which is about empowering young people for improved youth participation in developmental processes socially, economically, and politically is also hosting a webinar with support from the Embassy of Sweden in Harare in celebration of International Women’s Day on 8 March 2021.

While we certainly try to celebrate women all year, this is a month that calls for extra love and support for the women around us. Whether you shop from stores that support women’s charities or want to simply share a gift with your favorite girl, this month serves to show appreciation for everything women do.

International Women’s Day Colors include purple, green, and white where Purple signifies justice and dignity, Green symbolizes hope and White represents purity.