Drawing by Hanako O'Leary - Revolutionary Women 02

31 Days of Revolutionary Women, #01: An Introduction by Hanako O’Leary

By Hanako O’Leary

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’ll be posting one story each day of March written by local citizen journalists about a revolutionary woman from history or today who has inspired themย as women.

Starting as a weeklong celebration in the Sonoma, California school district, March officially becameย National Women’s History Month in 1987. Each day for the next 30 days, we feature these stories of 30ย women from history as we know them.

While a single month cannot cover all that came before, I am proud of the work put forth by the womenย who came before me. As today marks the 29th anniversary, now is a good time to reflect upon it.

History has always left women in the shadows, leading us to feel anger, frustration, and more thanย anything, heartbreak. We navigate through a world which often devalues our love and labor.

Drawing by Hanako O'Leary - Revolutionary Women 03
Drawing by Hanako O’Leary

We still fight daily for reproductive rights, equal wages, and safety on the streets. We live in constantย fear on college campuses, and under the stress of being compared to commercially manufacturedย constructs of desire. While conditions are improving, they are far from equal, whether that be in theย workplace, education, healthcare, politics or the justice system. Our social, political, and economicย rights have yet to catch up with those of our male counterparts.

In silent battles we take on the world, ourselves, and sadly each other. This month we will take aย moment to look around and understand the layers of misunderstanding that exist between ourselvesย and others. Society continues to break bonds of sisterhood through stratifications of race, class, sexualย orientation, gender identity, and body politics.

With that in mind, we find room to celebrate the battles fought. This month is to honor the women whoย came before us. While we are still challenged by the inequities of this world, let us take a moment toย breathe and appreciate the women who have brought us this far. Despite an entire world history builtย upon the oppression of women โ€ from Babylon to Trump, from the Old Testament to HBO – we continueย to move forward.

Drawing by Hanako O'Leary - Revolutionary Women 01
Drawing by Hanako O’Leary

This month I will nurse my hope that our bonds are there and strong: we as sisters and mothers, fathersย and brothers, are in it together. And together we will not only raise our social, economic, and politicalย consciousness, we will teach it to future generations as well.

Hanako O’Leary (aka HannyaGrrrl) is an artist and arts administrator. She is on the brink of receiving her MFAย in Arts Leadership from Seattle University. Most of her time is spent thinking about social equity. Otherwise,ย she is busy acting upon her thoughts, creating art and engaging in conversation. Her current obsession is inย Japanese wood block prints and comic books.

Feature image drawnย by Hanako Oโ€™Leary