Women’s History Month is here! To any woman reading this, know that you are strong, resilient, and capable of achieving anything.  This month is about you, those who paved the way before you, and those who will follow in your footsteps.

Why We Celebrate

Women's History Month recognizes the contributions and struggles of women throughout history, and calls attention to their suffrage. With roots coming from International Women’s Day, first celebrated in 1909, Congress officially passed a resolution in 1987 to designate March as WHM. 

Since then, it’s been celebrated around the world with events, exhibitions and activities to honor the achievements and highlight the struggles of women throughout history. 

The Journey So Far

In 1825, the first all-women union was formed, though it took far longer for attitudes to change as women gradually entered the workforce. In 1847 Maria Mitchell became the country’s first professional woman astronomer, paving the way for women in STEM. 1869 saw Arabella Mansfield become the first female lawyer, and Anna Bissell was named the first female CEO in 1889.

Despite these profound achievements, by the 20th century just 20% of all women worked outside the family home. By 1918, things would change considerably, with World War I driving women to fill positions left by men. This cultural shift meant that by 1930, 50% of single women had entered the workforce.

As Women, we’ve made significant strides. We’ve broken barriers and shattered glass ceilings along the way. For all the challenges we’ve faced, we keep rising to the occasion and continue to make our mark on the workplace and the world. 

Today, 76% of women are represented in the workforce, but those  working full time still earn about 16% less than men, on average, each week. Even after hundreds of years of closing the gender gap, and over 35 years of a month dedicated to women and highlighting their ongoing battles, we’re not there yet.   But we’re getting closer!

Women Founders Lead The Way

Today, we’re seeing an incredible number of women starting their own businesses or rising to positions of power. A quick read on SourceLink shows that despite a decline in entrepreneurship in the US overall, women are responsible for a large portion of recent business startups. In 2019 women owned 40% of all businesses in the United States, according to American Express research.  But there’s still work to do if we’re going to see a level playing field for women any time soon.

Only 2.8% of venture capital funds went to women-owned businesses in the U.S., and less still finds its way to minority women. Women-owned businesses receive, on average, almost $5,000 less than men in startup loans, according to Fundera.

Achieving gender equality means creating a world where both men and women, boys and girls, have equal rights, resources, opportunities, and protections.

Strong Businesses Celebrate Women

The Executive Assistants and Operations Professionals we work with provide critical right hand support to their executive teams, act as strategic business partners, and form the backbone of the companies they serve. And with 86.9% of the 304,678 Executive Assistants in the US identifying as women, smart businesses know why it’s important to amplify female voices. 

Are You With Us?

At The Hire Standard, we’re proud to be a woman-owned and led business, but that’s also just the start. Our work gives us a front-row seat to witness the critical contributions women bring to organizations, every single day. 

Want to partner with a staffing firm who gets it? Let’s talk.