Alice Paul organized the first ever march on Washington DC in 1913 for women's suffrage and co-authored the original 1923 Equal Rights Amendment with Crystal Eastman. She drafted it as part of her lifelong fight for gender equality, believing that the Nineteenth Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, was just the first step.

Her version of the ERA stated: “Men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction.”

Paul and the National Woman’s Party (NWP) campaigned for the amendment for decades. The ERA was finally passed by Congress in 1972 but is still not yet part of the US Constitution today.

• Recommended Reading (Adult):
Alice Paul: Claiming Power
by J.D. Zahniser and Amelia R. Fry

• Recommended Reading (Young Readers):
Alice Paul and the Fight for Women’s Rights by Deborah Kops

Fight of the Century by Barb Rosenstock

A key member of the White Rose - a non-violent anti-nazi resistance group run by students at the University of Munich. She was arrested for distributing leaflets to decry Nazi crimes and the political system, calling for resistance. She was convicted of high treason in a mock trial and beheaded at the age of 21.

• Recommended Reading (Adult):
At the Heart of the White Rose: Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl
by Hans Scholl (Author), Sophie Scholl (Author), Inge Jens (Editor)

Sophie Scholl and the White Rose
by Annette Dumbach and Jud Newborn by

• Recommended Reading (Young Readers):
Sophie Scholl: Daring Activist of World War II
by Salima Alikhan

Words Matter: The Story of Hans and Sophie Scholl, and the White Rose Resistance
by Anita Pazne

A Puerto Rican changemaker who dared to challenge convention and gender norms by fighting for women's right to wear pants. "I wore them just like men do, based on my perfect civil right to do so, on the outside.”

One of Puerto Rico's most famous labor leaders, Luisa was an anarchist writer, activist, labor organizer who fought for workers' rights, women's rights, free love, and human emancipation.

• Recommended Reading (Adult):
A Nation of Women: An Early Feminist Speaks Out
by Luisa Capetillo

• Recommended Reading (Young Readers):
The Girl Who Wore Pants
by Susanna Isern

“The people are what matter to government, and a government should aim to give all the people under its jurisdiction the best possible life.”

Witnessing the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in 1911 changed Frances Perkins forever. She dedicated her life to workers’ rights, becoming the first female U.S. Cabinet member and the driving force behind the New Deal.

Her work shaped Social Security, the 40-hour workweek, unemployment insurance, and workplace safety laws, helping stabilize the economy during the Great Depression and build the modern middle class. When told her policies were impossible, she simply replied:

“I promise to use what brains I have to meet this new challenge.”

Her dissent reshaped the nation.

• Recommended Reading (Adult):
The Woman Behind the New Deal
by Kirstin Downey

Becoming Madam Secretary
by Stephanie Dray

• Recommended Reading (Young Readers):
The Only Woman in the Photo
by Kathleen Krull

Steadfast: Frances Perkins, Champion of Workers' Rights
by Jennifer J. Merz

Visit The Frances Perkins Center for more on her life, work and educational resources

Patsy Takemoto Mink was a trailblazer who shattered barriers in politics and education. In 1965, she became the first woman of color elected to the U.S. Congress, where she fought tirelessly for gender and racial equality, education, and social justice. She is best known as the co-author of Title IX, the landmark law that prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded education programs, transforming opportunities for women and girls in sports and academics. Mink’s legacy is one of fearless advocacy, proving that dissent leads to lasting change.

• Recommended Reading (Adult):
Fierce and Fearless: Patsy Takemoto Mink, First Woman of Color in Congress
by Gwendolyn Mink and Judy Tzu-Chun Wu

• Recommended Reading (Young Readers):
She Persisted: Patsy Mink
by Tae Keller

Fall Down Seven Times, Stand Up Eight: Patsy Takemoto Mink and the Fight for Title IX
by Jen Bryant

Patsy Mink: Hawaii's Champion for Women's Rights
by David del Rocco

Ida B. Wells was a trailblazing journalist, civil rights activist, and suffragist who dedicated her life to fighting racial injustice. Born into slavery in 1862, she used the power of the press to expose the horrors of lynching, challenging the false narratives used to justify racial violence. After three of her close friends were lynched in Memphis, she launched an investigative journalism campaign, publishing Southern Horrors and The Red Record, which documented the truth behind these brutal murders.

As the co-founder of the NAACP, she worked to dismantle systemic racism and fought tirelessly for Black voting rights. Wells was also a vocal advocate for women’s suffrage, pushing back against white feminists who excluded Black women from the movement. Her fearless activism led to death threats, exile, and the destruction of her newspaper, The Memphis Free Speech, yet she never stopped fighting.

Ida B. Wells’ legacy is one of relentless courage, truth-telling, and justice, paving the way for future generations of activists.

• Recommended Reading (Adult):
Crusade for Justice: The Autobiography of Ida B. Wells
by Ida B. Wells

Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells
by Michelle Duster

• Recommended Reading (Young Readers):
Yours for Justice; Ida B. Wells
by Philip Dray 

Ida B. Wells, Voice of Truth
by Michelle Duster

Clara Zetkin was a German Marxist, feminist, and activist who founded International Women’s Day in 1910 to advocate for women’s rights, suffrage, and equality. A fierce champion for working-class women, Zetkin believed that women’s liberation was inseparable from broader social justice movements. She played a key role in organizing women’s labor movements and was a vocal opponent of fascism. Thanks to her efforts, March 8th became a global day of recognition for the fight for gender equality. Today, we honor her legacy by continuing the work toward justice and equality for all women.

In honor of women’s history month we will be adding at least one woman daily