About the USA is a digital collection of background resources on american society, culture, and political processes. In addition to featuring selected websites, it provides access to documents in full text format (E-Texts) on topics ranging from the history of German-American relations, government and politics to travel, holidays and sports. About the USA is maintained by the Information Resource Centers/U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Germany. usa.usembassy.de


In Focus: Women's History Month 2007

In 1981, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution establishing National Women's History Week. In 1987, Congress expanded the week to a month, and has since passed such a resolution every year. Congressional action is followed by a U.S. presidential proclamation declaring March as Women’s History Month.

Since its founding in 1980, the National Women's History Project has recognized and celebrated the rich and varied contributions of women to the history and culture of the United States.

The 2007 Women's History Month theme, Generations of Women Moving History Forward, celebrates the wisdom and tenacity of prior and future generations of women and recognizes the power of generations working together.

According to the National Women's History Project, "the year 2007 presents special opportunities to highlight some critically important events in women’s history, including the 50th anniversary of the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the 30th anniversary of the National Women’s Conference in Houston, Texas.

Facts & Figures (from the U.S. Census Bureau)

152 million
The number of females in the United States as of Nov. 1, 2006. That exceeds the number of males (148 million). As of July 1, 2005, males outnumbered females in every five-year age group through the 35 to 39 age group. Starting with the 40 to 44 age group, women outnumbered men. At 85 and over, there were more than twice as many women as men.

91 cents
The amount women in the District of Columbia, who worked year-round, full time, earned for every $1 their male counterparts earned in 2005. Among all states or state equivalents, the district was where women were closest to earnings parity with men. Maryland and Connecticut were the only states where median earnings for women were above $40,000, as was the District of Columbia.

32%
Percent of women 25 to 29 who had attained a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2005, which exceeded that of men in this age range (25 percent). Eighty-seven percent of women and 85 percent of men in this same age range had completed high school. The last year young women and men had equal rates of high school and college attainment was 1995.

17%
Percentage of married couples in which the wife earns at least $5,000 more than the husband in 2005. Among 22 percent of married couples, the wife has more education than the husband.

5.6 million
Number of stay-at-home mothers nationwide in 2005, up from 4.4 million a decade earlier.

Nearly 6.5 million
The number of women-owned businesses in 2002, up 20 percent from 1997. (The increase was twice the national average for all businesses.) Women owned 28 percent of all non-farm businesses.

84%
Proportion of women who used a computer at home in 2003, 2 percentage points higher than the corresponding proportion for men. This reverses the computer use “gender gap” exhibited during the 1980s and 1990s.

Last updated: March 2007