March marks Women’s History Month, a time to recognise the achievements, struggles and contributions of women across history. But this month did not begin as a celebration. It began as a protest. Let me give you a whistle-stop tour.
How Women’s History Month began
Women’s History Month grew out of International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8th and first observed in the early 20th century amid labour movements and women’s campaigns for political rights. In the United States, a local Women’s History Week was first organised in 1978 in California. By 1987, March had officially been designated Women’s History Month. Since then, the observance has expanded globally, with different countries marking March as a time to reflect on women’s progress, and the barriers that remain.
The month exists for one simple reason:
Women’s contributions have historically been minimised, overlooked or erased. Women’s History Month corrects that silence.
The 2026 theme
The 2026 Women’s History Month theme is expected to focus on women’s leadership, representation and the ongoing fight for equity in social, political and economic life (official announcements vary internationally, and themes differ by organisation).
Whatever the precise wording, the message is consistent:
- Women belong in history.
- Women belong in power.
- Women belong in the narrative.
Why this matters in the context of domestic abuse
At NCDV, we support everyone, regardless of gender, but we receive many more referrals from women. There may be reasons for this and we’re working hard to ensure men feel able to disclose and seek help. But that being said, we hear every day how women’s voices can be silenced, not just in history books, but in homes, workplaces and communities.
Domestic abuse is not only physical violence. It is coercion. Control. Isolation. Economic restriction. Emotional harm. It is the systematic shrinking of a woman’s autonomy and agency.
When we talk about Women’s History Month, we are also talking about:
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- The history of women fighting for legal protections.
- The long struggle to have domestic abuse recognised as a crime.
- The campaign to move violence against women from “private matter” to public policy issue.
- The work of survivors who have shaped legislation, services and safeguarding practice.
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 did not appear overnight. It exists because women organised, spoke out and refused to be invisible. Women’s history is not separate from domestic abuse policy. It is intertwined with it.
Remembering the women who built the sector
The domestic abuse sector was built by women. Refuges were opened by women. Helplines were staffed by women. For many years, much of it was unpaid work. I began as a volunteer. I was so passionate that I volunteered around my full-time work and bringing up two young children. In collaboration with other amazing women, we ran a 24hr helpline, and secured funding to build a refuge from scratch. I well remember the site visits, wearing my hard hat, and working late into the night to make sure we launched and opened on time.
Alongside the many women working for little or nothing to push the domestic abuse movement forward, research was conducted by women who insisted that violence in the home was not a “relationship issue” but a rights issue.
Women’s History Month is a reminder that the protections many take for granted were fought for. I was there. And those rights are still fragile.
Why it still matters
Some may ask whether we still need Women’s History Month. Globally, women remain disproportionately affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence. Economic inequality persists. Political representation remains uneven. And online abuse is reshaping how misogyny is experienced.
History is not finished.
At NCDV, our work sits within that longer historical arc, the ongoing movement to ensure women’s safety, dignity and equality under the law.
Women’s History Month is not just about looking back.
It is about asking:
What kind of history are we building now?
Charlotte Woodward
Head of Training & Development, NCDV