Women’s History Month: Facts and figures
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In 1857, women toiling in the garment and textile industries in New York City factories staged a protest over poor working conditions.
Fifty years later, the fight was far from over. On Feb. 28, 1907, women once again took to the streets calling for political rights for working women and the right to vote. It was one of the first Women’s Day celebrations held across the country.
Since then, the fight for equal rights has continued with milestones reached along the way, including the right to vote, gained in 1920 with the passage of the 19th Amendment. Today, women’s accomplishments are celebrated each March, officially designated Women’s History Month.
Here are some facts and figures about women in honor of Women’s History Month:
6.5 million
The number of women living in Pennsylvania, out of 12.8 million residents, according to 2019 figures. Of that, 631,402 women were living in Allegheny County (1.2 million population) and 180,183 were in Westmoreland County (349,000 population.)
That same year, 166.6 million women were recorded in the United States compared to 161.7 million men (out of 328 million residents.)
31%
Percentage of women 25 and older who held a bachelor’s degree in Pennsylvania in 2018, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Across the country, 33.9% of women 25 and older held a bachelor’s degree in 2019 compared to 32.3% of men, census data show.
Top degrees held by women in Pennsylvania include: communication disorders sciences and services (97.1%), early childhood education (94.4%), nursing (92%), family and consumer sciences (91.1%), elementary education (86.3%), special needs education (84.9%), social work (84.1%) and language and drama education (80.1%).
Across the state, 40.2% of women hold degrees in science and engineering majors, according to the Pennsylvania State Data Center.
77.5%
Percentage of the $1,069 average weekly earnings of their male counterparts that full-time working women in Pennsylvania earned in 2019. That equaled $828 a week, on average, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That percentage has fluctuated over the years, reaching a low of 71.8% in 1997 and a high of 81.7% in 2012.
Across the country, women who were full-time, year-round workers in 2019 earned 81.6% of what men made, according to data from the American Community Survey.
1909
The first National Women’s Day was observed in the United States on Feb. 28 of that year. By 1911, Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland officially celebrated International Women’s Day.
Today, International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8.
National Women’s History Week
President Jimmy Carter in 1980 became the first to issue a presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8 National Women’s History Week. Seven years later, Congress expanded the week to the entire month of March.
Serving as inspiration
Western Pennsylvania’s history is full of prominent women who helped shatter the glass ceiling and make lasting impacts on both the region and the world. Here are some of the women from the Pittsburgh region who made their mark.
Rachel Carson was a scientist, ecologist and writer who grew up in Springdale. After establishing a career as a scientist and editor-in-chief of all publications of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, she started warning the public about long-term effects of misusing pesticides, challenging practices of agricultural scientists and the government.
Mary Lou Williams, raised in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood, taught herself to play piano and began performing publicly at the age of 7. She became a professional musician in her teens. She played alongside prominent figures like Andy Kirk and arranged music for Duke Ellington, Earl “Fatha” Hines, Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey.
Other prominent women include journalist Nellie Bly, the character Rosie the Riveter, who was inspired by women working in Pittsburgh’s manufacturing companies during World War II, film director Lois Weber and Pittsburgh’s first female mayor, Sophie Masloff, to name a few.
Sources: Heinz History Center, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Pennsylvania State Data Center, Tribune-Review research