Women’s History Month: The Women Who Wrote, Organized, and Changed the World

Every March, Women’s History Month invites us to reflect on the countless ways women have shaped our societies. Among the most powerful contributions are those made by women in journalism and the labor movement. Through their words, investigations, and organizing, women helped expose injustice and build movements that transformed working life.

In journalism, women used the power of the press to challenge inequality. Ida B. Wells courageously investigated and documented the horrors of lynching in the United States, using investigative reporting to demand accountability and justice. Nellie Bly broke barriers in investigative journalism, famously going undercover in an asylum to expose abuse and push for reforms. These reporters didn’t just write stories. They forced the public to confront truths many preferred to ignore.

At the same time, women were central to the fight for workers’ rights. Labor organizers like Mother Jones rallied miners and factory workers, traveling tirelessly to lead protests and strikes. Frances Perkins, who later became the first woman to serve in a U.S. presidential cabinet, helped shape labor protections that still influence American workplaces today, including minimum wage standards and Social Security.

In 1972, Mollie West was elected by the Chicago Typographical Union (CTU) as a delegate to the 1973 International Typographical Union Convention, the first woman in the union to be elected to any office. Once she arrived, Mollie found that only six of the 350 delegates attending the convention were women. The five other women had been appointed by small locals where other members could not attend. Mollie was the only woman to be elected, and she represented the second largest local in the country.

The connection between journalism and labor activism remains powerful. Reporting exposed unsafe factories, child labor, and brutal working conditions, while organizers used that information to mobilize workers and push for change. Women were often at the center of both efforts, telling the stories AND leading the fights.

This Women’s History Month, it’s worth remembering that progress often begins with voices brave enough to speak out and communities strong enough to act. The women who wrote the headlines and led the picket lines remind us that storytelling and organizing can change the course of history.

Mollie West (third from left)