March is Women's History Month. Take a look into women's impact on Virginia's past, present, and future.
Since the earliest days of English colonization and even earlier among its First Peoples, women have played both starring and storyteller roles. This month, we celebrate those women, both past, present and future.
Join us for a look at the many resources for learning gathered here, visit a historic site or attend a special event honoring Virginia women.
Most importantly, consider the women in your own life and how they enrich the lives of those around them. Appreciate them, thank them, and share their history with your own families.
“Some women, while not included in the pages of a history book, have made contributions no less vital. Civic leader and social reformer Ora E. Brown Stokes from Chesterfield County worked tirelessly for a women’s right to vote and receive an education. Today, women constitute the majority of the student population at Virginia colleges and universities. Through strengthening and enriching society by impacting every field from business to medicine to government to the arts, women continue to nurture the family while fueling innovation, as well as the growth and success of tomorrow’s leaders;”
- Governor Glenn Youngkin
March 17-23, 2024
Women Veterans Week
Mission: Virginia’s Women Veterans Program (VWVP) provides access to community resources to educate, unify, and empower Virginia’s women veterans, who have served in the military in all eras; by ensuring they receive timely yet appropriate transition and benefits support/ employment and education outreach; health and community advocacy.
Learn more about women in Virginia history at these locations across the Commonwealth.
These attractions provide great resources for learning more about women's history in Virginia.
Check out the resources below to learn more on women's impact on the history of Virginia.
Throughout the month of March, the spotlight is on influential women of Virginia's past, present, and future.
The Olympic Gymnast
At the 2012 London Summer Olympics, Gabrielle Douglas of Virginia Beach thrilled audiences and judges, earning gold medals in both the team and individual all-around competitions. Her wins made her the first woman of color in Olympic history to become the Individual All-Around Gymnastics Champion.
The Ambassador of Dance and Culture
The joy and beauty of South American dance and culture has become a part of Richmond and Virginia's culture thanks to the work of Ana Ines Barragan King.
One of the Library of Virginia's Women in History honorees, King is a native of Columbia, South America who learned dance from her mother at a young age. She moved to Richmond and VCU after marriage, and in 1997 established the Latin Ballet of Virginia.
She refers to herself and her company as "ambassadors of dance and culture," and has developed educational programs to teach students Spanish and English through dance and use dance as therapy for children with special needs.
The Industrial Leader
Jennifer Boykin is head of the largest industrial employer in Virginia - Newport News Shipbuilding. Named to this position in 2017, she is the first woman to serve as president of the Newport News shipyard. She manages a workforce of over 25,000 shipbuilders who design, build and maintain the world’s most complex ships.
Boykin began her career in nuclear engineering and now actively promotes workforce development and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs. She is a founding member of two organizations dedicated to empowering girls and women.
To view the entire featured list of noteworthy women of Virginia's history click the button below.
