Considering Women’s History Month draws me to books – truth be told, most everything does. In this case, there’s a wealth of history about the how women have rebelled against the proscribed roles society wanted to foist upon them.

Here are just three of the non-fiction options I found with brief summaries based on those written in reviews and on their publisher’s websites.

The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval on Women's Roles in Society by Eleanor Janega

The more things change, the more they stay the same, or so says this history that examines the role of woman in society in a time when their prospects were incredibly narrow social and cultural punishments for stepping out of line were extreme. This is a pop-cultural approach that traces the origin of many lasting misogynistic views of women over time, and gives us anecdotes from the historical record about the women who moved ignored them.

Queens of Jerusalem: The Women Who Dared to Rule by Katherin Pangonis

Sometimes the most important aspect of a historical record is what is left out. This is especially true of official records, mainly written by, about, and for men – it is called HIStory, after all. This book highlights the queens and princesses who ruled Medieval Palestine with political agency and deft decision making. Women who were incredibly influential in their time but have largely been ignored until now.

When Women Ruled the World: Making the Renaissance in Europe by Maureen Quilligan 

Mary Tudor, Elizabeth I, Mary, Queen of Scots, Catherine de’ Medici: these names have resonated in history books for centuries, often cast as rivals, but a closer look at their relationships shows how their mutual respect produced peace, which led to widespread political and artistic creativity.

It’s probably safe to say that while some NFBPWC members are quiet regal, and many are strong and gracious leaders within and outside our organization, none of us are actually royalty or imbued with the kind of wide-spread recognition and power some of the women in these books were. That stated, however, every one of us is descended in spirit if not genetically from them all.

Theirs are the shoulders upon which we stand. The achievements that paved the way to where we are today. The lives that inspire us to make more of our own, to make the world safer and more equal for the women and girls of today, and to lay the foundations for future generations to build on.

One of the ways we can do this is through NFBPWC. If you’ve been on the fence about volunteering to work on a committee, suggesting an event or recruitment drive for your state’s club, even running for local or national office – now is the time to climb down on the side of YES!

Yes, you can add one more thing to your crowded plate – because your plate is made of solid stuff, ceramic or stone, rather than the soggy paper so many women are relegated to holding around the world in cultures that devalue and degrade them. You have already take the first step by being a member. Maybe you have taken other steps by doing the things I mentioned in the previous paragraph. If so, kudos to you, now it’s time to take whatever the next step is.

If not, take heart and inspiration from those who braved more difficult and dangerous times and situations and your NFBPWC sisters who have stepped out of their comfort zones to step up for an organization rooted in making the world a better place for women and girls today and tomorrow. Talk to them. Ask them why they volunteered to do more. What was the hardest thing they had to overcome? What they thought would be hard that turned out to be pretty simple or easy?

Then talk to your local sister-members. Maybe someone else wants to do something but fears not having enough time – perhaps you can share a role, serve as co-chairs of an event, co-chairs of a committee, or some other partnership that allows your club to receive the gift of your talents without either of you sacrificing the time and energy it would take to do it all yourself.

Want a great place to start? Something that’s easy. Something you only have to do once? Something you will have some help with if you get stuck? Write something for our magazine!

The next time you attend an event, take a little pad and jot down the highlights: things you learned, laughter you shared, whatever was interesting about it. Take some photos with your phone. Then write something telling the rest of us about your experience.

This is not an official club report. It’s you sharing your own experience. You do not need permission from anyone. You do not have to let anyone approve or even read it before submission.

There is no minimum word count you have to meet, no style book you need to comply with, none of the things that might stress you out when writing something for others to read. Something casual and friendly that might make someone else want to attend an event too.

And if you’re “not a writer” or even if you “just can’t write” that’s OK too. You have the free services of a professional writer and editor to polish things up if necessary.

If you think you’d like to do this, just drop me a line (magazine@nfbpwc.org) telling me what you want to do, or, just send me the story you wrote.

Happy writing, and reading!

Lisa Dicksteen
Magazine Editor
magazine@nfbpwc.org