International Women's Day

Janet in 1971

The inaugural publication of 'Ms.' Magazine in 1971 was empowering. The new publication, co-founded by Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes, shone a bright light on feminism. I was a seventeen-year-old Woodrow Wilson High School senior and enthusiastic member of the Women's Liberation "Club" in Washington, DC. The club's description in our high school Yearbook, The Manse, begins with a slightly sexist tone:

Determined not to stay home and play bridge (!!*?!!), Wilson's branch of Women's Liberation set out this year with the primary goal of informing students of the organization's values and goals. The group presented assemblies and speakers on subjects as abortions and the Women's Liberation Movement.

Now in 2020, after many generations of fighting for women's rights, gender equality, reproductive rights, economic justice, ending violence against women, racial justice, LGBTQIA rights and constitutional equality, we still have a long way to go.
"Don't wait for others to decide your life – not a husband, not children and not convention – you decide." — Gloria Steinem

"Women hold up half the sky." — Chinese Proverb

#GloriaSteinem #DorothyPitmanHughes #WordsOfWisdom #activismhasnoage #msmagazine #WomensRights #womenempoweringwomen #InternationalWomensDay