We celebrated Women’s History Month this year with a series of compelling events by the Women’s Center that reaffirmed the importance of gender equality. But this month also came with an understanding that since last March, society has taken frightening steps backward in the fight for women’s rights.

Women’s History Month dates back to 1978 with “Women’s History Week” in Santa Rosa, California. A local teacher spearheaded this week to highlight significant women of the past and present. This celebration expanded to other states in the following year, until President Jimmy Carter proclaimed Mar. 2-8 as National Women’s History Week.

In 1987, the Women’s History Project petitioned for Women’s History Month, and it is thanks to them that we as a country purposefully recognize the achievements of women annually — so we want to take this opportunity to recognize the brilliant women here at Wake Forest University.

Women’s sports have done exceptionally this year. The women’s golf and field hockey teams are ranked second and 14th  in the nation, respectively. Women’s cross country is ranked fifth. Additionally, the women’s basketball team made the second round of the National Invitational Tournament and set a record for wins under a first-year head coach. We are excited to see what our women’s athletics continues to achieve.

On top of that, the Women’s Center held a multitude of events all month. Starting strong with the Period Poverty and Packing project to the Student Union Drag Show, our community was exposed to parts of this month that may not be as obvious. But the Women’s Center also chose to highlight spaces where we need to grow, ending with the Salary Negotiation Workshop — alluding to an integral component of Women’s History Month this year: there is more work to be done. The Old Gold & Black commends both the work done and the space left for improvement.

On June 14, 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned, making it legal for states to inhibit reproductive rights — rights that were held for 50 years. In the past couple of months, bills proposing restrictions on reproductive and sexual health education have become more frequent. Just a couple of days ago, the Nashville shooting further stoked the fire of hatred against transgender people.

The Old Gold & Black encourages Wake Forest to rise above. With the recent filing of an abortion ban in North Carolina, it is more important than ever to stand for what you believe is right. That means taking advantage of our right to vote and speak out.

Just because something doesn’t directly affect you, it doesn’t mean it’s not important to fight for. We must choose to actively overcome ignorance. While we celebrate Women’s History Month this year with pride, we also hope our university community will bring a sense of vigor to an ongoing fight for the rights of women.