Celebrating Women’s History Month in Worst State for Women

This Women’s History Month, Progress Texas joins in celebrating the countless Texas women who have recognized and fought for “their rights, proudly raise their chins, and face the struggle,” as the Mexican-American journalist, educator, and activist, Jovita Idar, said. This is a crucial, revolutionary task during a time when federal celebrations of the honorific month are being rolled back, and with it very real restrictions on women’s rights—with livelihoods, economic growth, and basic gender and reproductive rights at stake. 

Nationally, we are seeing a rise in social conservatism demonstrated in dangerous, toxic male personas who openly put down women’s role in the public sphere and dominate the online, podcast, and streaming arenas. Meanwhile, trad-wife and “clean girl” content illuminate a disturbing backtrack for young women trending toward conservative values, domestication, and homesteading—”glorifying rigid gender roles and rejecting progress under the mask of empowerment or self-improvement.”

The fact is: this is a dangerous time, and state, to be a woman. 

• Pregnant people are fleeing statewide abortion bans causing forced pregnancies, rises in sepsis, and death—as extremist elected officials force Texans to choose between their lives and their homes in the Lone Star State. TIME awarded “Woman of the Year,” and one of our “Best Texans,” Amanda Zurawski, is one of many who has brought national attention to this fight.
• State leadership still refuses to study or provide solutions to rising maternal mortality rates—confirmed by ProPublica, finding an increase of dozens of deaths and at least 120 in-hospital deaths of pregnant or postpartum women in 2022 and 2023— and known to be impacted by racial disparities killing Black women at higher rates than white counterparts. 
• We have our neighbors in Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Mississippi to thank for keeping us from ranking the absolute worst state for women to live in, says a new study from WalletHub that tracked 25 indicators of standard of living such as median earnings and quality of healthcare to female homicide rate. 

Depressing, entirely preventable statistics, maddening. And still, as the women’s rights activist and abolitionist, Sojourner Truth, said, “life is a hard battle anyway. If we caught and sing a little as we fight the good fight of freedom, it makes it all go easier. I will not allow my life’s light be determined by the darkness around me.” The rights we still have did not come easy, and we will follow in the footsteps of those who came before us: fighting tooth and nail to build a better future for us all. 

During 2025 Women’s History Month, there are many activities celebrating the resilience and determination of Texas women that you can join in on! We’ve compiled a list of featured events in Texas featured below, so take the time to find some joy in books, markets, concerts, and more.
 

Five officers of the Newport, Rhode Island Women’s League from around 1899. (Library of Congress, PBS) Read more here.

Austin: Some Austin events require paid tickets 

• SXSW EVENTS
• March 8: Women’s March on International Women’s Day at the Texas Capitol
• March 21: Women's History Month Open House
• March 29: Women's History Month Texas Foremothers Brunch hosted by Democrasexy at Hold Out Brewing

DFW

• March 5: Magical Craft Time with Poppy Xander + Friends, at the Mesquite Arts Center 
• March 8: International Women's Day Concert, at Community Beer Co.
• March 8:“10” Women’s History Month exhibition, at the Pencil on Paper Gallery
• March 27: Women’s History Book Club Meeting, at the North Branch of the Mesquite Public Library

Houston

• ALL MONTH, starting March 4: Journeys of Three from Susan Salter, Brenda Bowman and Shirley Beyer  at the Fort Bend Museum
• ALL MONTH, starting March 12: Elegance & Practicality: Texas Fashion Through the Years at the Fort Bend Museum
• March 6: Women’s History Month Lecture “The Elusive Women on the Frontier: A New Reading of 16th century Ming Chaste Martyrs.” at Rice University’s Fondren Library, Kyle Morrow Room
• March 8: International Women’s Day Open House at Rienzi
• March 9: International Women's Day Celebration, Concerts, Market, and Workshops, at POST Houston
• March 23: Can We Talk? A Women's History Month Celebration at the 306 Main Street

San Antonio

• March 18: Staging Liberation: A Conversation with Miranda Gonzalez at the Center for Advocacy and Student Empowerment (CASE), 103
• March 18: Empowering Women Through Education: The Founding of Vassar College at the Turbon Student Center (TSC), 216
• March 22: Zine Lab. Freak-a-zine is taught by Ana Camacho Espiritu at SA Central Library
• March 27: The I-35 Literary Road Trip! Minneapolis to San Antonio – Louise Erdrich and Sandra Cisneros at the Sutton Learning Center (SLC), 219B
• March 29: Legacy of Influence: Honoring the Women of San Antonio ISD, at SA Central Library

Editorial Note: Progress Texas is not an organizer of the listed events. If you have more Women’s History Month events or celebrations you would like to add to the list, please send them to tatum@progresstexas.org.