Celebrating Women Throughout History

From being a one-week celebration to becoming a month-long celebration, in the month of March we celebrate the contributions women have made to culture, history, and society. This year the theme of Women’s History Month is “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope.” A theme to highlight the work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic and also a recognition of the thousands of ways that women of all cultures have provided both healing and hope throughout history. Along with celebrating Women’s History Month in March, we celebrate the contributions social workers have made towards history and society as March is also Social Work Month. Social work is a helping profession, whose mission is to enhance human well-being and help meet basic and complex needs of all people by focusing on both the person and their environment. Social work is a profession that provides healing and hope to the individual and their environment, therefore I would like to take a moment to honor women who have contributed to the field of social work throughout history.

Jane Adams, social work pioneer, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931, best known to have founded the settlement house Hull House in Chicago Illinois. Mary Richmond, known as the founder of casework practice. Frances Perkins, a social worker who was the first woman appointed to serve in any U.S presidential cabinet and who served the U.S Secretary of Labor from 1933-1945. Dorothy Height, a leader in addressing the rights of both women and African Americans as the president of the National Council of Negro Women. These women are a couple out of the long list who have contributed to the field of social work.

Along with the woman who contributed to the field of social work I would like to take a moment to honor the group of women who founded Mutual Ground and the employees who have worked towards the mission the founders established. Throughout the years Mutual Ground has worked towards their mission to empower individuals, families, and communities to eliminate domestic and sexual violence and the harms of substance use through education, awareness, and life changing services. Thanks to the group of women who founded Mutual Ground and started to provide hope and healing to survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence in the community.

Written By
Lizbeth Rios, MSW
Therapist at Mutual Ground