March is National Women's History Month.  

Women have made strides in achieving equality in our nation and fighting to make our society better to live and work in. This month is a special time to recognize female trailblazers in every industry and the many women who have stood for the rights and freedoms of all women everywhere. 

The roots of Women's History Month date back to protests by female factory workers in New York in March of 1857. It wasn't until 1981 that Congress established National Women's History Week. In March 1987, President Ronald Reagan issued Presidential Proclamation 5619 proclaiming it "Women’s History Month." President Reagan called on all Americans to honor the achievements of American women reminding us of what women have contributed to our shared history: 

"Women have fought for moral and social reform and have taken part in and led many great social and political movements of our land. Women have founded many of our philanthropic, cultural, educational, and charitable institutions. Women have served our Nation with valor and distinction during wartime, nursing the wounded, piloting airplanes, performing vital jobs in defense plants. Women have forged a place for themselves in public life, serving on the Supreme Court, in the Congress, and in Cabinet posts; becoming Ambassadors; and holding Federal Executive posts that affect the lives of every citizen.

"Most importantly, as women take part in the world of work, they also continue to embrace and nurture the family as they have always done."

As we celebrate the achievements of women, here are 15 positive statistics about work and life for women today: 

  1. 69.3 Million The number of employed adult women (as of January 2018). 

  2. 57 Million The increase in employed women from 1948 to 2016. 

  3. 70.3% The labor participation rate for mothers with children under 18 – up from 47.4% in 1975. 

  4. 40% The percentage of households where mothers are the sole breadwinners – up from 11% in 1960, 

  5. 2.4% The percentage of paid female workers above age 25 who earned minimum wage or less. 

  6. 65.6% The percentage of first-time mothers who worked during pregnancy – up from 44.4% from 1961-1965. 

  7. 27 The number of female CEOs on the Fortune 500 list. 

  8. 9.4 Million The number of firms owned by women and they account for 31% of all privately held firms. 

  9. 201,413 The number of women serving on active duty in the military (15.5 percent of 1.4 million serving). 

  10. 10.1% The percentage of female veterans. 

  11. 52% The percent of women comprising the voting-age population in the U.S. 

  12. 73.7 Million The number of women who reported voting in 2016 election compared with 63.8 million men. 

  13. 3 The number of women on the Supreme Court. 

  14. 19.6% The percent of Congress made up of women (22 Senators and 84 Representatives). 

  15. 1,871 The number of state legislative seats held by women (25%). 

Women have come far, but there's still more to do.