The museums that line the National Mall in Washington, DC symbolize what our nation honors. While art, science, and culture are well represented, half our history is missing – women’s history.
Did you know that only one in ten figures in today’s history textbooks is a woman; less than eight percent of the statues in our national parks are of women and in our Nation’s Capitol Building, only thirteen out of the 217 statues are of women leaders? The National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) will educate and inspire by building a museum in Washington, DC, a city whose attractions symbolize what our nation honors. It will also provide for traveling exhibits.
For the last nine years NWHM has petitioned Congress for a permanent home on or near the National Mall, offering to build the Museum with private monies – not at taxpayer’s expense – yet our efforts continue to be blocked. Congressional approval is needed to build a Museum in DC since it is Federal land.
This is what has occurred in Congress previously:
• Passing legislation twice in the U.S. Senate but not passing it in the House of Representatives
• In another session of Congress, passing legislation in the House but not in the Senate.
• Then last year Congress attached a pet-project amendment to our bill, which prevented our bill from passing.
New legislation was introduced on February 28, 2013 to create a Commission that would identify a permanent home for women’s history. We are excited about this form of legislation because this is how the last three Museums were built in DC.
Together, we can make it happen!
Sign the petition at http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-congress-women-s-history-needs-a-home and forward this to your network of friends – this is the year to make it happen.
Make your voice heard and let Congress know that you want women’s history on the National Mall!