March 1, 2023
March is Women’s History Month
Boulder County, Colo. -- On Tuesday (Feb. 28), the Boulder County Commissioners proclaimed the month of March 2023 as Women’s History Month in Boulder County and urged all residents to actively raise their awareness of the historical contributions of women and the ongoing efforts to achieve gender equality.
The proclamation was delivered during the commissioners’ weekly business meeting.
Resources
The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum website include articles and online exhibits focusing on women in history, the arts, and sciences. Or visit WomensHistoryMonth.gov for other online exhibits and collections.
History Colorado has online resources (search ‘women story’ for stories of women in Colorado’s history) and admission to the Center for Colorado Women’s History in Denver is free on March 8 (International Women’s Day).
To find out about the historical contributions of former Boulder County Clerk & Recorder Clela Rorex, who issued the first marriage license to a same-sex couple in the United States in 1975, read her obituary from Out Boulder County and watch the county’s video about Clela’s and then Clerk Hillary Hall’s contributions to the efforts for marriage equality.
2023 Women’s History Month Proclamation
WHEREAS, every March, Women’s History Month provides an opportunity to celebrate the contributions that women and girls have made and continue to make and to honor the generations of trailblazing women and girls who shaped the United States’ progress and strengthened our character as a society; and
WHEREAS, women and girls continue to carry forward the mission of ensuring our daughters have the same opportunities as our sons and to lead groundbreaking civil rights movements for social justice and freedom; and
WHEREAS, despite the progress being made, women and girls — especially women and girls of color — still face systemic barriers to full participation and wider gaps in opportunity and equality evidenced by the fact that women in full time work in the United States were paid 82 cents for every dollar a man in full time work was paid according to 2020 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics with the pay gap being higher for women of color: Asian American and Pacific Islander women were paid 75 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-hispanic men, Black women were paid 58 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men, Latina women were paid 54 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men, and Native women were paid 51 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men; and
WHERAS, Boulder County recognizes the intersection of race and gender and how these systems oppress women of color; and
WHEREAS, there is still much work to be done to achieve equity and equality for all women, including women of color and transgender women, who have throughout history often been left out of the efforts to achieve gender equality; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed and exacerbated disparities, which have disproportionately impacted women’s labor force participation, multiplied the burden on paid and unpaid caregivers, and increased rates of gender-based violence; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Congress sent the Equal Rights Amendment to the States for ratification over 50 years ago and it is long past time that the principle of women’s equality should be enshrined in our Constitution; and
WHEREAS, Boulder County supports Colorado legislation that guarantees the equal rights and opportunities of women in all spheres of life and that prevents systemic gender discrimination; and
WHEREAS, the YWCA Boulder County’s mission is to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all, and the Boulder County Commissioners congratulate this year’s YWCA Community Impact Maker Award winner Katrina Miller, one of the producers of the documentary, "This is (not) who we are", which seeks to open a space for dialogue about issues of diversity, inclusion, and equity in an overwhelmingly white, wealthy community.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED BY THE Boulder County Board of County Commissioners, on behalf of Boulder County, do hereby proclaim that the month of March 2023 is recognized as Women’s History Month in Boulder County and urges all residents to actively raise awareness of the historical contributions of women and the ongoing efforts to achieve gender equality.
ADOPTED on this day 28th day of February 2023
