With Women’s History Month, Fair Housing Month, and more, March and April bring with them numerous opportunities to celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion and engage in conversations that expand our perspectives and enact change. The Dallas Regional Chamber has compiled resources and events to help you commemorate, learn about, and engage in these commemorative and symbolic holidays.
March: Women’s History Month
Women’s History Month is an annual celebration of the contributions women have made over the course of American history. Women’s History Month began as a celebration of Women’s History Week in 1978 before Congress passed a law in 1987, making March the official month to commemorate the vital role of women in the U.S. Since 1995, presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.”
In addition to Women’s History Month, the United Nations celebrates International Women’s Day annually on March 8. This began as a regional celebration in 1911 and was officially adopted by the U.N. in 1975. International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. Learn more about International Women’s Day at International Women’s Day 2023.
Read, Watch, and Listen:
Events
March 15: Equal Pay Day
Equal Pay Day symbolizes how far into the new year women must work to be paid what men were paid the previous year. Equal Pay Day for all women should be Dec. 31, but it’s not. This year, Equal Pay Day is March 15. Started by the National Committee on Pay Equity in 1996, the goal of Equal Pay Day is to raise awareness about the gender wage gap. Despite the efforts of the Equal Pay Act to eliminate pay discrimination, the wage gap remains. Currently, women still earn 83 cents for every dollar that men earn. That gap increases to 58 cents for Black women and 54 cents for Latinas.
Read:
-
-
- Department of Labor | Equal Pay and Transparency Protections
- Harvard Business Review | How to Identify and Fix Pay Inequity at Your Co.
- Leigh Day | Equal Pay Explained
- Equal Pay International Coalition | EPIC: Can pay transparency measures help reduce the gender pay gap?
-
April: National Fair Housing Month
April is recognized as National Fair Housing Month to commemorate the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, disability, or family status. Prior to the passage of the act, redlining of neighborhoods contributed to housing segregation, food deserts, and opportunity gaps in wealth, school, and health for groups deemed to be off-limits for issuing mortgages. Despite the legislation, which is an extension of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, discrimination can still be found in certain communities for buyers and renters. Learn more about National Fair Housing Month and the Fair Housing Act.
Read and Watch:
-
-
- Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs | Fair Housing 101
- City of Dallas Equity Report | Access to Neighborhood and Infrastructure Data
- Segregated By Design
- National Fair Housing Alliance | 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act Edition
- Housing and Urban Development | Fair Housing Opens the Door
-
Events