2023 Women’s History Month

Celebrating Women #intheBerkshires and beyond all March long!

March is Women’s History Month. This month, and all year long, we celebrate the vital role of women in American history. The Berkshires has a rich history of trailblazing women! Take time this month to learn about and honor women’s contributions to history.

Attend an event

Song and Dance! A Celebration of Women of the Berkshires

Highlighting Berkshire women in the Arts, this Berkshire Theatre Group show features performances by Gina Coleman, Olga Dunn Dance Co., Wanda Houston, Mary Ann Palermo and The All-Star Women’s Band, along with more of our extraordinary region’s unsung female heroes in the art, business, social and medical communities. Join us for an evening of celebrating women of the Berkshires! Proceeds will be donated in part to several local non-profit organizations, including The Elizabeth Freeman Center that helps women and children in need.

Explore Women’s History literature

Berkshire Athenaeum Celebrates Women’s History Month

The Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield’s public library, is observing Women’s History Month this March with displays from the library’s adult and children’s collections, as well as a list of recommended readings. Explore these titles honoring the women who built America!

Shining the Light on Women’s Rights

Letty Cottin Pogrebin continues to travel extensively, promoting her latest book, Shanda: A Memoir of Shame and Secrecy. The writer, lecturer, and social activist is a founding editor of Ms. magazine. Berkshire Magazine sat down with Pogrebin and talked about women’s rights, the Feminist Seder, and her long history in the Berkshires.

Historic Women Trailblazers of Massachusetts

Learn about more than 70 remarkable women whose contributions to the Commonwealth, the nation, and the world are recognized as trailblazers and have strong ties to Massachusetts. This list from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism is comprised of suffragists, social activists, abolotionists, culinary experts, teachers, politicians, scientists, athletes, artists, poets, and more!

Recognize Local Impact

Women in Agriculture in the Berkshires and Beyond

Women have a rich history in farming, despite facing unique challenges, barriers, and erasure. As part of Women’s History Month, Berkshire Grown highlights women in agriculture, especially the many women who operate our Berkshire Grown member farms.

Local Icons from the Berkshires 

When thinking of noteworthy women from the Berkshires, a handful immediately come to mind: Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Freeman, Edith Wharton and Jane Swift, to name a few. Look a little deeper and you will find there are dozens of women from the Berkshires who left their mark on the world. But these women and their contributions are often forgotten or overlooked, reduced to historical footnotes. This article from The Berkshire Eagle honors Berkshire women and their legacies for Women’s History Month.

Women Owned Businesses Thrive in the Berkshires

For generations, businesswomen have come to the Berkshires to put down roots and set up shop. Whether you’re looking for food, fun, antiquing, pampering, or a place for your daughters to blossom next summer, women-owned Berkshire businesses have you covered!

Visit Historical Sites

Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum

Visit the cradle of equal rights with a trip to the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum in Adams. The mission of the museum is to highlight the familial and regional influences which shaped Ms. Anthony’s early life, by displaying the textiles and furnishings of that period, as well as the literature and other memorabilia associated with her later career. While in Adams, take time to visit the Susan B. Anthony Statue in the Adams Town Common.

Elizabeth Freeman

Learn about Elizabeth Freeman, the first African American woman to successfully file a lawsuit for freedom in the state of Massachusetts! Visit the Trustees’ Ashley House in Sheffield to view an exhibit developed in 2012 by UMASS students dedicated to telling Freeman’s amazing story. Also explore the recently unveiled Elizabeth Freeman Statue at Shelffield’s Old Parish Church.

The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home

The Mount is a National Historic Landmark and cultural center dedicated to the intellectual, artistic, and humanitarian legacy of author Edith Wharton (1862-1937), whose works include classic novels such as The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth, as well as authoritative works on architecture, design, and travel. Take a house tour and then stroll through the beautiful gardens.

Learn more about Women’s History Month.

Photos: Elizabeth Freeman Statue, credit Gillian Jones, The Berkshire Eagle; Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum

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