Women’s History Month 2027 runs from Monday, March 1, to Wednesday, March 31, 2027, in the United States, and the 2027 theme is “Financial Literacy, Liberation, and Leadership: Women in Business.”
The month includes International Women’s Day on Monday, March 8. Canada holds its Women’s History Month in October instead.
This guide covers the dates, the theme, why March was chosen, and how the month began.
Key takeaways
- Women’s History Month 2027 is March 1–31 in the US, the UK, and Australia, and October in Canada.
- The National Women’s History Alliance confirmed the 2027 theme on May 10, 2026.
- The observance began as a Women’s History Week in Sonoma County, California, in 1978.
- Congress made March National Women’s History Month in 1987.
Women’s History Month 2027 at a glance
- Dates (US): Monday, March 1 – Wednesday, March 31, 2027.
- 2027 theme: Financial Literacy, Liberation, and Leadership: Women in Business.
- International Women’s Day: Monday, March 8, 2027.
- Theme set by: the National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA).
- Official since: 1987, by act of Congress.
- Colors: purple, green, and white (or purple, white, and gold in the US).
Table of Contents
When is Women’s History Month 2027?
Women’s History Month 2027 is March 1–31, 2027, in the United States. The month starts on a Monday and ends on a Wednesday.
Other countries choose different months, which is a common source of confusion:
| Country | Women’s History Month 2027 |
|---|---|
| United States | March 1–31 |
| United Kingdom | March 1–31 |
| Australia | March 1–31 |
| Canada | October 1–31 (since 1992, linked to Persons Day on October 18) |
What is the Women’s History Month 2027 theme?
The Women’s History Month 2027 theme is “Financial Literacy, Liberation, and Leadership: Women in Business.” The National Women’s History Alliance confirmed it on May 10, 2026, after developing it with students at St. John’s University (NWHA).
The theme has three parts:
- Financial literacy: lesson plans for grades 6–12 on credit, college debt, pay negotiation, investing, retirement, and protection from scams and identity theft.
- Financial liberation: the history of women’s economic rights, from mid-19th-century property rights laws to the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.
- Financial leadership: a “March of Icons” calendar honoring 30 women leaders, one each day of March, with International Women’s Day left open for communities to honor local women in business.
Past Women’s History Month themes
| Year | Theme |
|---|---|
| 2027 | Financial Literacy, Liberation, and Leadership: Women in Business |
| 2026 | Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future |
| 2025 | Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations |
Themes for 2025 and 2026 come from the NWHA theme page.
The International Women’s Day theme is set separately. For 2026, the United Nations theme was “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.” The 2027 International Women’s Day themes have not been announced.
Why is Women’s History Month in March?
Women’s History Month is in March because it grew out of a week built around International Women’s Day on March 8. In 1978, the first Women’s History Week in Sonoma County, California, was centered on that date (NWHA).
When the week expanded to a full month, March stayed. Canada chose October instead to include Persons Day, which marks the 1929 ruling that women were legally “persons” in Canada.
How did Women’s History Month start?
Women’s History Month started as a local school week in California and became a national month in nine years. The steps, from the National Women’s History Alliance:
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1978 | The Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women holds a Women’s History Week centered on March 8. |
| 1979 | Molly Murphy MacGregor shares the idea at a Women’s History Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, chaired by historian Gerda Lerner; participants agree to push for a national week. |
| 1980 | President Jimmy Carter proclaims the first National Women’s History Week, March 2–8, 1980. |
| By 1986 | 14 states have declared March as Women’s History Month. |
| 1987 | Congress declares all of March as National Women’s History Month. |
| 1992 | Canada designates October as Women’s History Month. |
Carter’s 1980 message quoted Gerda Lerner: “Women’s History is Women’s Right.”
What are the Women’s History Month colors?
The colors of Women’s History Month are purple, green, and white. They come from the Women’s Social and Political Union, a British suffragette group that chose them for its flag in 1908 (Scripps News).
- Purple: loyalty.
- Green: hope.
- White: purity.
Many Americans use purple, white, and gold instead. US suffragist Alice Paul swapped green for gold, a color already linked to the American suffrage campaign. The same colors are used for International Women’s Day.
Women’s History Month quotes
These short quotes from women in history are popular for posters, assemblies, and social media in March:
- “Remember the ladies.” Abigail Adams, in a letter to her husband, John Adams, in 1776.
- “Ain’t I a Woman?” The title by which Sojourner Truth’s 1851 speech in Akron, Ohio, is known.
- “Failure is impossible.” Susan B. Anthony, at her last public appearance, in 1906.
- “Women’s History is Women’s Right.” Historian Gerda Lerner, quoted in President Carter’s 1980 message.
Key women’s history dates in 2027
| Date | Observance |
|---|---|
| Monday, March 1 – Wednesday, March 31 | Women’s History Month (US, UK, Australia) |
| Monday, March 8 | International Women’s Day |
| Thursday, August 26 | Women’s Equality Day (US), marking the 19th Amendment |
| Friday, October 1 – Sunday, October 31 | Women’s History Month (Canada) |
| Monday, October 18 | Persons Day (Canada) |
Other heritage months, including Black History Month in February, are listed in the Awareness Calendar 2027.
Women’s History Month dates 2026 to 2031
| Year | Starts | Ends | International Women’s Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday, March 1 | Tuesday, March 31 | Sunday, March 8 |
| 2027 | Monday, March 1 | Wednesday, March 31 | Monday, March 8 |
| 2028 | Wednesday, March 1 | Friday, March 31 | Wednesday, March 8 |
| 2029 | Thursday, March 1 | Saturday, March 31 | Thursday, March 8 |
| 2030 | Friday, March 1 | Sunday, March 31 | Friday, March 8 |
| 2031 | Saturday, March 1 | Monday, March 31 | Saturday, March 8 |
Frequently asked questions
When is Women’s History Month 2027?
Women’s History Month 2027 runs from Monday, March 1, to Wednesday, March 31, 2027, in the US.
What is the theme of Women’s History Month 2027?
The 2027 theme is “Financial Literacy, Liberation, and Leadership: Women in Business,” set by the National Women’s History Alliance.
What was the theme of Women’s History Month 2026?
The 2026 theme was “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.”
Why do we celebrate Women’s History Month?
Women’s History Month recognizes the role of women in history, which school lessons long left out. It began in 1978 so students would learn about women’s contributions.
When did Women’s History Month start?
It started as a Women’s History Week in Sonoma County in 1978, became a national week in 1980, and a national month in 1987.
Is Women’s History Month the same as International Women’s Day?
No. International Women’s Day is one day, March 8, marked worldwide; Women’s History Month is the whole of March in the US, UK, and Australia.
