Three medical students at the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania (WMCP), 1885. From left to right: Dr. Anandibai Joshi (India), Dr. Keiko Okami (Japan), and Dr. Tabat M. Islambooly (Syria). Photo courtesy of Legacy Center Archives, Drexel University College of Medicine.

By Megan Byrnes, Co-Chair, AASLH Women’s History Affinity Group

The Women’s History Affinity Group (WHAG) discussion forum is up and running! We’re excited to connect with you and to build a supportive online community to share new research and strategies for highlighting the stories of women at historic sites and museums. Moreover, this forum is also meant to be a safe place to respectfully discuss debates within the field of women’s history and challenges facing women advancement in the non-profit sector. You do not need to be an official member of WHAG nor of AASLH to follow the forum and participate in discussions.

Let’s start the discussion with the following prompt: March is Women’s History Month. Organizations like the National Museum of Women in the Arts have successfully created a social media campaign challenging people to #Name5WomenArtists. In the comments below, share the names of five lesser-known women from history and reasons for why you think everyone should know about them and their contributions.

COVID-19 update/twist: You can also share the name of a woman from history whom you think would be good in a time of crisis and why. We look forward to hearing from you on the forum and wish everyone the best during this uncertain time.

Go to Forum

Megan Byrnes is WHAG Co-Chair and Programs Manager at the Morris-Jumel Mansion in New York City.


Learn more about the Women’s History Affinity Group here.