NATIONAL — The third month of the year serves as a celebration and honoration of women’s contributions nationwide, marking 2026 as the 39th month-long commemoration.
Women’s History Month, which got its name from a 1987 legislative branch — who passed resolution 101 Statue 99, leading 40th United States President Ronald Reagan to issue Proclamation 5619 — solidifying March ‘87 as the first Women’s History Month in observance. This worldwide holiday originated from “International Women’s Day” on March 8, which was introduced in 1911 and established in 1917 following a strike by Russian Women for Bread and Peace, which began on Feb. 23 of the same year on the Julian Calendar, or March 8 on the Gregorian Calendar, according to the International Women’s Day website.
This day of acknowledgement grew into “Women’s History Week” in 1978 in Santa Rosa, Calif for a larger focus on women’s labor activism, voting rights and contributions in the early 20th Century, according to the American Postal Workers Union website. This was made official in 1980, when the 39th U.S. President Jimmy Carter issued the first proclamation of the week of March 8 as Women’s History Week. While “International Women’s Day” was accepted in 1917, it was not until 60 years later in 1977 when the United Nations officially recognized the red-letter day.
However, the fight for women’s rights began before an official day was recognized with female activists making history at the front lines. In 1903, the Women’s Trade Union League was founded in Boston, Mass., by Mary Kenney O’Sullivan, among others, with a mission to organize women in an effort to improve working conditions and fight for fair wages.
Among other organizations and movements introduced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries included the Black Women’s Labor Organizing in 1866 — which included freed women in Jackson, Miss., who organized a union and to fight for higher wages — the National Union of Cigar Makers — who was the first union to admit women workers as members in 1867 — a March 8 protest in London, England in 1914 in support of women’s suffrage and the “Uprising of the 20,000” in 1909 — composed of shirtwaist makers in New York, N.Y., on strike.
Recognized female leaders included Sarah Bagley — an 1840s weaver and writer, who organized for workers rights in Massachusetts textile mills — Mary Harris “Mother” Jones — who organized for miners and garment workers in the late 1800s and early 1900s — and Rose Schneiderman, who was a leader in the Women’s Trade Union League from 1918 to 1949, among others.
As local and national labor unions come together to recognize the efforts of the women who came before them, the AFL-CIO has additionally begun to profile females currently involved in the trades and unions nationwide.
March 2: Elizabeth Rian
On March 2, the AFL-CIO profiled Elizabeth Rian — an actor, writer and member of The Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). From Honolulu, Hawaii, Rian is additionally an award winning film maker, receiving recognition for her work in ‘Jane the Virgin’ and ‘Magnum, P.I.,’ as well as networks including the Lifetime Channel and the Hallmark Channel, according to the AFL-CIO’s website. Obtaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre production from Chapman University in Orange County, Calif., Rian has gone on to write, produce and appear in three short films, which have screened in a variety of cities worldwide including those in Hawaii, New York and London. She is currently in pre-production for her first film, “Opala,” according to the AFL-CIO’s website.
March 4: Angela Brown
AFL-CIO’s second profile for Women’s History Month was Angela Brown, an Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 102 member. Brown is a flight instructor at Amentum in Enterprise Alabama. The AFL-CIO shared that they believe Brown is a pioneering pilot, as a woman in a predominately male field, who continues to inspire new pilots to take flight each day. “Women play a big role in our society,” Brown said. “And we shouldn’t be pushed aside.”
March 6: Linda Ward-Smith
On March 6, the AFL-CIO profiled American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Member, Linda Ward-Smith. Ward-Smith serves as the president of AFGE Local 1224 in Las Vegas, Nev. The AFL-CIO believes that she is dedicated, driven and committed to making a meaningful impact in her community. In addition to her role as president of AFGE Local 1224, Ward-Smith is a registered veteran nurse. Through hard work, dedication and resilience, the AFL-CIO shared that she continues to inspire others, while honoring the legacy of those who paved the way.
March 7: Amanda Brubaker
March 7th’s profile featured Utility Worker Union of America (UWUA) Member, Amanda Brubaker. “I’m proud of what I do every day,” Brubaker said. “What gives me joy is when I have a customer get excited to see me get out of my truck just because I’m a woman. The biggest challenge I face is people believing I don’t have the knowledge to do the job. Once we start talking it’s apparent I do have the knowledge and the ability and there’s no question anymore.”
March 8: Katie Quan
International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU) Member, Katie Quan was featured on March 8. Quan was a seamstress and an organizer for the ILGWU strike of Chinese women garment workers in 1982, according to the AFL-CIO website. She went on to serve as international vice president of the ILGWU.
While Quan retired in 2016, according to the AFL-CIO, she is a senior fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, Center for Labor Research and Education — continuing to work on special projects surrounding research on global labor strategies and executive education for union leaders, according to the AFL-CIO’s website.
March 9: Jessica Tang
On March 9, the AFL-CIO profiled Jessica Tang, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) member. Tang serves as the president of AFT Massachusetts and was previously the president of the Boston Teachers Union from 2017 to 2024, according to the AFL-CIO’s website. She was the first person of color and first openly LGBTQ+ person to hold both roles. Tang was additionally the first Asian American member to serve on the AFT Executive Council and is the founding chair of AFT’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders Task Force, according to the AFL-CIO’s website.
Julia Williams — a Kansas City native — is a reporter and digital producer for The Labor Beacon. A University of Missouri School of Journalism alumna, she previously served as the editor-in-chief of The Northeast News before joining The Labor Beacon staff.
Williams’s grandfather was a Claycomo Ford Motor Company retiree and avid UAW Local 249 supporter, allowing her to understand the union difference from a young age.
In her free time, Williams enjoys spending time with her family, traveling to see her friends and hanging out at home with her cat, Greta. She loves a good cup of coffee, seeing local, live music and shopping secondhand. With a passion for storytelling, she hopes to bring her knowledge of journalistic integrity to the Kansas City union community — giving union and labor workers a voice, while holding people in powerful positions accountable.
