Women's History in Public School Curriculum

In 2017, the National Women’s History Museum published a report called “Where are the Women?”, in which they analyzed K-12 educational standards in social studies curriculums across the 50 states. (https://www.womenshistory.org/sites/default/files/museum-assets/document/2018-01/NWHM_Status-of-Women-in-State-Social-Studies-Standards.pdf)

The report found that out of 737 historical figures mentioned in the standards, only 178 are women. This means that for every one woman mentioned by name in the classroom, three men are mentioned. If women’s history is not taught in public schools, most young students grow up without exposure to a female perspective of American history and politics. The result is that girls and young women are deprived of a road map providing them a path toward leadership, further contributing to the underrepresentation of women in government.