Written by Brittany Clausen, MSW, LGSW
March is Women’s History Month, a time to honor the countless women who fought for our rights, challenged systemic barriers, and reshaped the world. But this year, the weight of history feels different. In the current political landscape, where Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts are under attack and fundamental rights are being questioned, the call to support one another is more urgent than ever.
Women’s history is not just about looking back—it is about recognizing the patterns that continue to divide us. It is about understanding that we are being positioned, whether by political forces or economic interests, to play a role in our own demise. Now is not the time for performative allyship or selective feminism. Now is the time for action rooted in self-awareness, collective humanity, and the courage to dismantle systemic oppression across the board.
The Long Arc of Women’s Rights
The fight for women’s rights has never been linear, nor has it been equitable. The early suffragist movement, while instrumental in securing the right to vote, largely excluded Black women, Indigenous women, and other women of color. The feminist waves that followed—fighting for reproductive rights, workplace protections, and political representation—have often struggled with internal divisions along racial and socioeconomic lines.
Women’s history has always been a story of resilience, but also one of division. We have been told that our interests are different, that our struggles are separate, that our power is limited and must be fought over. These narratives are not accidental; they are strategies of control.
Today, as DEI faces backlash and women’s rights continue to be challenged, we must ask ourselves: Have we learned from history? Are we still allowing our differences—race, class, gender identity, sexuality, religion—to divide us? Or are we ready to unite under the truth that all oppression is connected?
Breaking Free from a Scarcity Mindset
One of the greatest obstacles to true solidarity is the scarcity mindset—the belief that there is not enough room for all of us to succeed. This belief fuels competition, distrust, and exclusion. It convinces women of different backgrounds that one group’s advancement comes at the cost of another’s. It tells white women that racial equity is a threat to their status. It tells working-class women that gender equality is a luxury for the elite. It tells women of color that they must choose between racial justice and gender justice.
But oppression is not a zero-sum game. The same systems that deny Black and brown women economic opportunity, strip reproductive rights from all women, and police gender identity are interconnected. We cannot afford to fight these battles in isolation.
Self-awareness is key. We must interrogate our own insecurities, question the biases we have internalized, and recognize when we are being manipulated into division. When we let fear dictate our actions, we play into the hands of those who benefit from our disunity.
Beyond Performance: The Call for Real Action
Support for women cannot be performative. It is not about social media statements or surface-level inclusion efforts. It is about the policies we fight for, the voices we amplify, and the way we show up when it matters.
Advocate for policies that protect all women—paid parental leave, reproductive freedom, pay equity, and workplace protections that consider the most vulnerable among us.
Reject tokenism and demand systemic change—representation means nothing if it is not backed by power and influence.
Address intersectionality in every conversation—women are not a monolith, and feminism without racial, economic, and LGBTQ+ inclusion is hollow.
Support women-led businesses, especially those led by marginalized women—economic power is a key to breaking cycles of oppression.
Educate and challenge within your circles—whether in corporate boardrooms, grassroots movements, or personal relationships, refuse to let divisive narratives take root.
We Must Be the Architects of Our Future
The forces that seek to dismantle women’s rights and DEI initiatives want us divided. They want us to believe that one woman’s progress is another’s loss. They want us to believe that our worth is dictated by our economic contributions rather than our shared humanity.
But history has shown us that when women unite, we are unstoppable.
The changes we endure in the coming years will be shaped by what we believe in and what we are willing to fight for. We cannot afford to be complacent. We cannot afford to be divided. We must recognize that every victory for one of us is a step forward for all of us.
Women’s history is still being written. Let’s ensure that the next chapter is one of true solidarity, radical inclusivity, and undeniable progress.
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