Over the past few decades, there has been a renaissance in research and writing on women’s history. But many museums and other cultural institutions still struggle with how to interpret the role of women in history. While women have made great contributions to North Carolina history, you wouldn’t necessarily know it from reading mainstream history books or many textbooks.

You might be familiar with Dorothea Dix and her call for more humane conditions at North Carolina’s prisons and mental hospitals, but what about Penelope Barker and the Edenton Tea Party or the efforts of Gertrude Weil and Nell Battle Lewis to achieve woman suffrage (although the Tar Heel State never ratified the 19th Amendment)? During the Civil War, some women worked as nurses, factory workers, spies, and even soldiers.

How should you present Women’s History Month to your children? One way is to encourage them to talk with family members — grandmothers, great-aunts, and other female relatives — who can relate what life was like when they were young. Or help your kids conduct their own oral history interviews. This will help them to compare their own experiences to those of earlier generations.

The contributions of women in history should be celebrated 365 days a year — not just for one month. By sharing family stories and going beyond the classroom curriculum, you’ll encourage your children to appreciate a history that includes everyone — regardless of class, gender, race, or national origin.

B.J. Davis of the N.C. Museum of History writes monthly for TriangleMom2Mom.