Celebrating Women's History
March is Women's History Month! Explore the resources on this page to learn and read more about women's history, important figures, literature, and more!
*Check out this Women's History Month site, which includes extensive lists of fascinating exhibits from the National Archives and other government institutions.*
New Books
Important Women Biographies
Courage: My Story of Persecution by
Call Number: PZ9.5.J36 J36 2022ISBN: 9781324016670Publication Date: 2022Continuing this propulsive middle grade nonfiction series, a young woman once persecuted by the Taliban shares her journey to becoming a community activist. As a girl and as part of an ethnic minority in Afghanistan, Freshta Tori Jan was persecuted relentlessly. Her family faced kidnappings and daily murder attempts on the bus, on the way to school, in the workplace, and beyond. Freshta's school was shut down by the Taliban, and many of her friends were murdered and shot. Her journey through poverty, terrorism, and other forms of injustice has enabled her to be a voice for those unable to share their stories and those unable to receive the opportunities she has sought. She believes in empowering youth in order to bring about change and be the leaders of today and tomorrow. With a voice that is both accessible and engaging, Freshta brings forward a captivating first-person account of strength, resilience, and determination, and delivers compelling narrative nonfiction by young people, for young people.
Search Hekman Library Primo to find more women memoirs and biographies in the collection like above and browse the following digital resources:
- Who2 List of Biographies for Women's History MonthFrom the website Who2, a list of many historical and modern people celebrated during Women's History Month. Click any name for more info or browse by profession (Activists, Actors, Astronauts, Athletes, etc.)
- Biography Reference Center (EBSCO)
Find more biographies on important figures of women's history through the Biography Reference Center, an excellent scholarly database with short summaries on famous figures
Special Topics
American Women's Suffrage: Voices from the Long Struggle for the Vote 1776-1965 by Call Number: JK1896 .A54 2020ISBN: 9781598536645Publication Date: 2020-07-07"For the first time, here is the full, definitive story of the movement for voting rights in all its diversity and intersectionality, told through the voices of the women and men who lived it: the most recognizable figures in the campaign for women's suffrage, like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, but also the black, Chinese, and American Indian women and men who were not only essential to the movement but expanded its directions and aims, and the anti-suffragists who worried about where the country would head if suffrage were universal."
Shaking Things up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World by Call Number: CT3207 .H66 2018ISBN: 9780062699459Publication Date: 2018-01-23Illustrations by notable women artists featuring the stories of remarkable girls of history
Champions for Peace by Call Number: JZ5540 .S74 2018ISBN: 9781538119006Publication Date: 2018-11-02History of women winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, up to the inspiring story of Malala Yousafzai (winner in 2014)
The Season: a social history of the debutante by Call Number: GT3430 .R53 2020ISBN: 9780393608731Publication Date: 2019-11-19"Whether maligned for its archaic attitude and objectification of women or praised for raising money for charities and providing a necessary coming-of-age ritual, the debutante tradition has more to tell us in this entertaining and illuminating book"
Women in Antiquity by Call Number: HQ1127 .W643 2016ISBN: 9781138808362Publication Date: 2016-09-01"This volume gathers brand new essays from some of the most respected scholars of ancient history, archaeology, and physical anthropology to create an engaging overview of the lives of women in antiquity."
A Black Women's History of the United States by Call Number: E185.86 .B475 2020ISBN: 0807033553Publication Date: 2020-02-04"A vibrant and empowering history that emphasizes the perspectives and stories of African American women to show how they are--and have always been--instrumental in shaping our country. In centering Black women's stories, two award-winning historians seek both to empower African American women and to show their allies that Black women's unique ability to make their own communities while combatting centuries of oppression is an essential component in our continued resistance to systemic racism and sexism."
America's Jewish Women by Call Number: HQ1172 .N33 2019ISBN: 9780393651232Publication Date: 2019-03-05"A groundbreaking history of how Jewish women maintained their identity and influenced social activism as they wrote themselves into American history."
Troubled Memories: iconic Mexican women and the traps of representation by Call Number: PQ7123.W6 E88 2018ISBN: 9781438471891Publication Date: 2018-10-01Tracing the literary representations of several iconic Mexican women, including La Malinche, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Leona Vicario, the Adelitas (women soldiers) of the Mexican Revolution, and Frida Kahlo
The Disappearing L: erasure of lesbian spaces and culture by Call Number: HQ76.96 .M67 2016ISBN: 9781438461779Publication Date: 2016-09-01Reflections from older activists of the cultural spaces created by lesbian women in the 70s, 80s, 90s
Eliminating Inequities for Women with Disabilities by Call Number: RA564.88 .E45 2016Publication Date: 2016-06-01"Using an integrated care framework as a foundation, authors tackle the structural, environmental, and social barriers that prevent women with disabilities from accessing effective and culturally-competent care and services, and address related issues including psychosocial health, interpersonal violence, health care policy, health promotion, disease prevention programs, and telehealth, as well as reproductive and sexual health, and dental care."
Great Women Artists by Call Number: N8354 .G74 2019ISBN: 9780714878775Publication Date: 2019-09-05Highlights of more than 400 artists from over 50 countries and spanning 500 years of creativity
Women in the History of Science by Call Number: EBOOKISBN: 9781800084162Publication Date: 2023-06-05A rich collection of primary sources on women in the history of science.
Feminine Capital: unlocking the power of women entrepreneurs by Call Number: HD6072.5 .O77 2015ISBN: 9780804783781Publication Date: 2015-03-25" Dispelling myths and misperceptions that can undermine women-owned ventures, this book takes a fresh look at how female entrepreneurs can leverage their skills, knowledge, and values. Case studies of women entrepreneurs bring key concepts and lessons to life, while learning aids, diagnostic tools, and checklists help readers to construct innovative business models, refine start-up plans, and hone growth strategies."
Women's Sports [What Everyone Needs to Know] by Call Number: GV709 .S38 2018ISBN: 9780190657703Publication Date: 2018-09-03"In the signature question-and-answer format of the What Everyone Needs to Know series, this ... book clarifies misconceptions that dog women's athletics and offers ... context and history to illuminate the struggles and inequalities sportswomen continue to face"
The Gospel According to Eve by Call Number: BS1235.52 .B36 2019ISBN: 9780830852277Publication Date: 2019-10-29"Biblical scholar Amanda Benckhuysen traces the history of women's interpretation of Genesis 1-3, allowing the voices of women to speak of Eve's story and its implications for life today"
Encyclopedia of Women in World Religions by Call Number: BL458 .W5835 2019ISBN: 9781440848490Publication Date: 2018-11-16Two-volume encyclopedia provides entry information on "the religious experiences of women across time and cultures," with sections on major religions as well as on spirituality, African religions, prehistoric religions, and other broad topics.
A women's history of the Christian church : two thousand years of female leadership by Call Number: BV639.W7 M82 2019ISBN: 9781487593858Publication Date: 2019"From the earliest female apostle, and the little known stories of the two Marys--the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene--to the enlightened duties espoused by the nun, the abbess and the anchorite, and the persecutions of female "witches," Muir uncovers the rich and often tumultuous relationship between women and Christianity."
His Testimonies, My Heritage by Call Number: BS1430.54 .H58 2019ISBN: 1784983756Publication Date: 2019-09-01Collection of essays written by women of color on the word of God
Star Wars Meets the Eras of Feminism by Call Number: PN1995.9.S695 F73 2018ISBN: 9781498583862Publication Date: 2018-10-15Collection of essays examining the female characters in the Star Wars franchise (surveying content of movies, cartoons, books, comics, and more up through the sequel trilogy)
Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny by Call Number: HQ1233 .M346 2019ISBN: 9780190933203Publication Date: 2019-03-01"Kate Manne argues that misogyny should not be understood primarily in terms of the hatred or hostility some men feel toward all or most women. Rather, it's primarily about controlling, policing, punishing, and exiling the "bad" women who challenge male dominance. And it's compatible with rewarding "the good ones," and singling out other women to serve as warnings to those who are out of order."
The Routledge Handbook of the Politics of the #MeToo Movement by Call Number: EBOOKISBN: 9780367809263Publication Date: 2020-11-26This interdisciplinary handbook identifies thematic and theoretical areas that require attention and interrogation, inviting the reader to make connections between the ways in which the #MeToo movement has panned out in different parts of the world, seeing it in the context of the many feminist and gendered struggles already in place, as well as the solidarities with similar movements across countries and cultures.
We Are Not Born Submissive by Call Number: EBOOKISBN: 9780691201825Publication Date: 2021-03-30A philosophical exploration of female submission, using insights from feminist thinkers--especially Simone de Beauvoir--to reveal the complexities of women's reality and lived experience
The Handmaid's Tale by Call Number: PR9199.3.A8 H3 1986ISBN: 9781328879943Publication Date: 2017-04-25"Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States, now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans... The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate Handmaids under the new social order."
Thick by Call Number: HM479.C68 A3 2019ISBN: 9781620974360Publication Date: 2019-01-08"In these eight ... explorations on beauty, media, money, and more, Tressie McMillan Cottom--award-winning professor and ... author of Lower Ed--embraces her ... role as a purveyor of wit, wisdom, and Black Twitter snark about all that is right and much that is wrong with this thing we call society"
Jesus and John Wayne by Call Number: BR526 .D85 2020ISBN: 9781631495731Publication Date: 2020-06-23Written by Calvin prof, Kristin DuMez, a deep dive into the evangelical preoccupation and corruption of Christianity with masculine ideals
Becoming by Call Number: E909.O24 A3 2018ISBN: 9781524763138Publication Date: 2018-11-13"In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America, she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private."
On the Basis of Sex by Call Number: PN1997 .O39579 2019Publication Date: 2019"Inspired by the powerful true story of a young Ruth Bader Ginsburg, On the Basis of Sex depicts a then-struggling attorney and new mother facing adversity in her fight for equal rights. When Ruth takes on a ground-breaking case, she knows the outcome could alter the courts' view of gender discrimination."
She's Beautiful When She's Angry by Call Number: HQ1154 .S438 2016ISBN: 9786316310040Publication Date: 2014Chronicles the birth of the modern women's liberation movement in the 1960s and early 1970s, covering the emergence of the National Organization for Women (NOW), as well as more radical factions such as WITCH (Women's International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell!)
Picture a scientist by Call Number: Q130 .P538 2020Publication Date: 2020"A biologist, a chemist and a geologist lead viewers on a journey deep into their own experiences in the sciences, overcoming brutal harassment, institutional discrimination, and years of subtle slights to revolutionize the culture of science."
Wonder Woman by Call Number: PN1997 .W66467 2017Publication Date: 2017The blockbuster origin story for one of the most famous female superheroes ever - Diana, Princess of the Amazons, Wonder Woman