Many groups within Nebraska have coordinated events/projects during March with the goal of highlighting women of the past and inspiring those of the future for Women’s History Month.
The Nebraska State Historical Society has dedicated a portion of their website to spotlight women who have made significant contributions to the state’s history. The organization provided the public with resources such as their Nebraska History Articles, Blogs/Publication Posts, and Manuscript Collections.
“In history, women’s contributions to society have been minimalized or ignored, so it is a great time to appreciate and learn more about what women have done to benefit our communities,” instructor Emily Vidlak said.
The University of Nebraska in Lincoln also celebrated Women’s History Month by coordinating activities for their students, faculty, and staff. Among these events included discussions, a lunch meeting, a movie night, arts and crafts, a mixer, and a seminar, all involving the recognition of both women’s struggles and triumphs.
“Especially with today, with the whole thing in the media with Roe v. Wade, those kinds of topics coming up,” junior Olivia Berg said. “With what people can tell women to do and what they can’t, and what’s morally right and how they feel. So I think it [Women’s History Month] is still relevant, definitely.”
On a more local scale, the Bellevue Public Library has also paid homage by hosting a Women’s History Month reading challenge and promoting books written by female authors. Participants of the challenge have the opportunity to earn limited-edition badges and honor women in literature.
“I feel that I like to incorporate famous/current female artists in my lessons all year long,” Vidlak said. “I also like to support women-owned businesses outside of school, read books with strong female characters, and continue to listen and learn other ways that I can support women.”
East’s library is also planning to create a bookshelf display showcasing novels written by female authors and ones with compelling stories about women. The shelf will hold an estimated twenty titles for students to choose from. Despite this, celebrations for Women’s History Month at East have remained limited due to recent DEI restrictions.
“Public schools are in a really hard time right now because the government is very picky about highlighting groups,” media specialist Shannon Dunkel said. “So you can get sued; you can get funds taken away.”
Additionally, the Women’s Foundation of Lincoln & Lancaster County (WFLLC) also celebrated Women’s History Month. The WFLLC is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development and equality of women, femmes, and non-binary individuals. With all of the issues that still affect these groups, the WFLLC continues to work towards political change.
“Women’s History Month coincides with one of the busiest months of the legislature,” WFLLC President Kathy Uhrmacher said. “We monitor bills, write letters and testimony for the committee hearings and will now start contacting Senators. Policy is so important for women, especially now when we are living through a roll-back of women’s rights and reproductive freedom.”
In commemoration of Women’s History Month, they’ve prompted a revisitation of their 2014 documentary, “Miles to Go: Women Activists Reflect on the Road Traveled”. The film uplifts the voices of significant female activists in Nebraska throughout history in order to educate the next generation and inspire them to continue working towards a better future.
“We made it to highlight the voices of women who were active in Lincoln (and the state) during the 70s and 80s,” Uhrmacher said. “It’s a compilation of interviews and other news items that covers a variety of issues that brought about policy changes. It was such a good project and one that we are proud to hold up, especially to young women who maybe don’t know how far we’ve come– and how far we have yet to go.”
