Celebrating Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month, a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture, and society that has been observed annually since 1987. From Abigail Adams to Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth to Rosa Parks, women have been reaching milestones since before recorded history. This month, we turn to recognize female leaders in our credit union movement who helped shape it into what it is today and paved the way for women in the movement now, including:

• Louise Herring: An active supporter, organizer, and champion of credit unions who was the Ohio delegate to the 1934 national credit union conference in Estes Park, Colo., where she signed the original constitution for a national credit union association.
• Dora Maxwell: An early credit union pioneer who worked as an organizer for the movement’s trade association and held numerous volunteer positions at the local and national levels.
• Amalie Raiffeisen: As a young German social reformer who worked aside her father Friedrich Raiffeisen, Amalie was indispensable in the creation and development of the cooperative movement in Germany.

As the movement continues to evolve, the foundation female pioneers laid, must not go unrecognized. Through their efforts, the credit union movement has been shaped into one that strives for diversity, equity, and inclusion and works to uphold financial wellbeing for all.

Additionally, March 8 is International Women’s Day, a day in which the world joins us in celebrating women. On this day, consider attending a virtual event through IWD’s website, hosting your own group activity about celebrating differences, or having conversations with those around you about ways to support a gender-equal world.

To learn how you can help celebrate International Women’s Day, visit the following website.