The National Women’s Museum is launching a Women Writing History: A Coronavirus Journaling Project. Reported from Alexandria, Vermont, the Women Writing History: A Coronavirus Journaling Project is a project to ensure women’s voices are not left out of the Covid-19 melodrama seen all around the world.
It is a project featuring women from all over the world. There are women and girls from all over who can participate in this initiative. The main goal would be the recording of daily thoughts and experiences of women during the coronavirus pandemic. Here we come to women’s lives as assumed excluded from the historical record, it depends on the era, but this has happened in the past if we take into account the farther back in history moments in time.
Holly Hotchner, the President and CEO of the National Women’s History Museum, stated, “Despite being more than 50% of the population, women have largely been left out of the history books. When they’re included at all, their stories are often episodic components woven into a larger narrative centered on the experience and accomplishments of men… Sociologists and economists warn us that the COVID-19 pandemic is and will disproportionately affect women’s lives more so than men, and we want to ensure that women’s stories are recorded and shared, so that future history books are informed by women’s experiences during this global health crisis. This project really speaks to who we are as an institution. There’s an urgency to record women’s history as it unfolds.”
Women Writing History: A Coronavirus Journaling Project is a project not confined to particular demographics or people. It is intended for and will include women from all backgrounds, cultures, ages, and social and economic circumstances as a living history for including in keeping a journal. The increments for the journaling have been listed as 30, 60, 90, and 120-day increments, while “any longer or shorter increments” being fine as well. In this, we can see the importance of the journalistic efforts of women and the importance of maintaining historical records from a once in a century event.
“Journals can be written, orally recorded, video recorded, a series of photographs, or original artworks—the primary goal of this project is to capture the female voice and how the pandemic has impacted daily lives and perspectives.” The National Women’s Museum said, “Journal entries might provide a summary of one’s day, descriptions of the ‘new normal,’ coping techniques, explorations of challenges or even moments of joy, or inside views of how learning and working routines have altered.”
The particularly important and seminal aspects of this history for the future generations will be the essential and healthcare workers who have been encouraged to contribute their journal entries for future generations. These journals are intended to be used as part of a living archive of the Covid-19 lives of women for presentation “online and physical exhibits, articles, publications, and scholarly research.”
Those interested in participating in Women Writing History: A Coronavirus Journaling Project should begin by filling out the participation form by clicking here. There is an FAQ here.
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The National Women’s History Museum was founded in 1996 as the only women’s history museum in the United States devoted to the diverse contributions of women to the history of America (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).
Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash