By Reneé Leta
For Women’s History Month, the Utah Women’s History Initiative, a program of the Utah Historical Society, has put together a slate of activities on a Bingo style-card to showcase women who make a difference in their communities.
Utah has many unique connections to women’s history — from Paiute memory-keepers to Utah’s suffrage story and beyond. The commemoration of Women’s History Month, which began in the 1970s, even has roots in Utah. A 1981 Joint Congressional Resolution proclaiming Women’s History Week was sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Representative Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland). In 1987, Congress authorized March as Women’s History Month.
“As a historian, I want to broaden awareness of women in the state who are shaping our lives in the places where we live and work,” says Katherine Kitterman, coordinator for the Utah Women’s History Initiative. “Women’s history is everywhere and is happening now. One person can make a difference to solve problems and build communities. This month we’re asking all people to take a minute sometime to honor or thank someone in their community.”
“Women’s history is everywhere and is happening now.”
Historian Katherine Kitterman
To provide a variety of opportunities, the team has put together a month full of history activities in the form of Women’s History Month Bingo. The card provides ideas for participation in various cities around the state, and offers participants the chance to learn more about the town or community they live in.
This year, the program provided funding for additional programming, including:
- Working with a researcher to talk about the history of textile arts at Harmony, a craft store in Provo;
- Enabling elders of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah in Cedar City to share their knowledge and stories with other generations; and
- Making it feasible to add Utah women veterans as panelists to discussions about the Vietnam War at Utah State University in Logan; and
- Hosting a Women’s History Month tea, with Lavanya Mahate, founder of Saffron Valley restaurants and RISE Culinary Institute to talk about immigrant experiences in the food industry.
In addition, Utah Arts & Museums and the Utah State Libraries Division have broadened the reach of Women’s History Month by sharing resources with partners. Some of those include: developing a reading list and providing resources to learn about women’s history at museums and cultural sites.
“This month is an opportunity to introduce resources and programming that are available, and to help partners reach new audiences and bring new people into their doors,” Kitterman says. “We want people to see there are a lot of ways to celebrate and choose what works for them.”
Download the Women’s History Month Bingo card and submit the card with five boxes filled out to win a prize and be entered into a drawing for a gift box with books, swag, and surprises.
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Learn more about Utah’s Women’s History Month activities here. Sign up for the Utah Historical Society’s e-newsletter here.