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Another was Gertrude Simmons, also known as Zitkála-Šá, worked for the Indian Bureau in Utah.

Courtesy Better Days 2020 Facebook page

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Amy Brown Lyman worked with various organizations to help Utah women and children.

Courtesy Better Days 2020 Facebook page

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Laura Giles

Courtesy Jeremy Hall

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Is there really a month dedicated to learning about the history and contributions of women? Yes, and it’s here. Every March, we have the opportunity to learn about and celebrate the many stories of women who helped to shape our state and country. Having this month set aside reminds us to read, hear and learn more about our history.

One woman whose contributions were many was Amy Brown Lyman. “Born in Pleasant Grove, Amy Brown Lyman grew up with a desire to help families, especially mothers and children. Amy brought social work methods to Utah to support society’s most vulnerable members and even ran for the state legislature to bring federal funds to Utah that drastically reduced maternal and infant mortality. Her belief that women are leaders motivated her contributions in the LDS Relief Society, Red Cross, state legislature, and countless other organizations,” reads a recent post on Better Days 2020’s Facebook page.

Another was Gertrude Simmons, also known as Zitkála-Šá, who worked for the Indian Bureau in Utah. “Gertrude felt isolated in Utah, so she worked with the local Ute women, teaching them to sew, to cook, and to budget,” it states on utahwomenshistory.org, where many more women’s fascinating stories are available to read.

According to womenshistory.gov, Women’s History Month has its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when the week beginning March 7, 1982, was proclaimed as “Women’s History Week.” Throughout the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as “Women’s History Week.” Since 1995, presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.”

The Utah Historical Society is celebrating Utah women this month with a Women’s History BINGO card. When you participate in “five in a row” activities listed on the card, you can submit the card online and receive a small prize. One participant will be randomly selected to receive a gift box with books, swag and other surprises.

However, the real prize for participating in the Women’s History BINGO is to learn more about the many contributions that women in history, who are sometimes ignored, have made. Some examples of activities listed on the card include: take a selfie with a female friend, support a woman-owned business, learn about a female inventor, learn about a woman in your family tree, and learn about a Utah suffragist. For more information about the BINGO activity and about Women’s History Month, go to history.utah.gov.

Whether reading about, learning about or teaching about women throughout history, one sure way to celebrate Women’s History Month is to make history ourselves: do something kind, run for office, volunteer in the schools, write a book, vote in elections, write your own personal history, create an artwork, donate time to helping and advocating for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors, work at a local food pantry, be a mom, grandma, favorite aunt and friend.