As Women’s History Month commences, staying educated on the topic of women’s issues is important, not only to understand the past, but to continue to break through glass ceilings in the future. Although COVID-19 has restricted the activities available in-person that strive to teach such a vital part of history, there are endless virtual options to partake in. Here are things to do to educate yourself on women’s history. 

Votes for Women: A Virtual History

The Brandywine River Museum of Art invites virtual visitors to “walk” through an online exhibit that commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment in the United States Constitution. 

This interactive exhibition includes political cartoons, parades and fashion, among other things, that contributed to the visual culture of the women’s suffrage movement in America. 

The exhibit “[presents] an inclusive historical narrative… [and] recognizes the efforts of women of color, which have been largely overlooked,” according to the website. “The visual lessons of the suffrage movement provided a model for later activism, including the civil rights and social justice movements, making this not just a centennial commemoration, but a window into contemporary visual discourse.”

Champion Women Through the Arts: Poetry

Undoubtedly, female poets have shaped American poetry. Poets.org’s collection celebrates innovative poets including Phillis Wheatly, Sylvia Plath and Emily Dickinson, women whose accomplishments still have a heavy influence on this aspect of literature.

In particular, contemporary female poets are highlighted in this collection. Poems dating back to the early 1900s in various forms are included as well. 

There is a section dedicated to audio poems that features thousands of modern poets, which offers a unique perspective on racial issues and women’s rights. 

This online compilation offers the opportunity to support growing female poets as they begin to mark their place in the world. 

“On the Basis of Sex” (2018)

Educate yourself about one of the most significant voices in shaping women’s legal rights in this country. In this 2018 film, Ruth Bader Ginsburg struggles as a mother and an attorney as she faces obstacles in her battle for equal rights. When she decides to take on a tax case alongside her husband Martin Ginsburg, she is aware of the fact that she could change her career path and how the justice system views gender discrimination. 

Earning a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, this movie starring Felicity Jones and Armie Hammer intrigues top critics while illustrating a part of the feminist icon’s life and her contributions to equal rights.

Bed Sachs, a critic from Chicago says, “The tight focus makes for an engaging, fast-moving legal drama; as with Spielberg at both his best and worst, this is seldom boring.”

Champion Women Through the Arts: Visual Arts

The National Museum of Women in the Arts welcomes virtual visitors to explore the programs and online resources that highlight artists and their portfolios. 

The NMWA offers interactive exhibitions, virtual events and links to support the artists featured on their site. Artist profiles that speak to artists from the past and present are featured as well. For varying ages, there are printable coloring books composed by female artists and even podcasts that interview artists about their careers. 

“Get inspired by great women artists and advocate for gender equity in the arts―from home,” the website says. “Join us to keep sharing, amplifying and celebrating women artists who are changing the world.”

As March begins, the importance of women in history needs to be highlighted. As well as the women in today’s society that stand on the shoulders of the people who came before them and continue to break through the chains of gender inequality.