7 ways to celebrate Women’s History Month in Boston

Discover films, art exhibits, panels, and history tours celebrating women.

The Boston Women's Memorial honors Abigail Adams, Lucy Stone, and Phillis Wheatley. Wikimedia Commons / Ingfbruno

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Some of the country’s most historically influential women have called Boston home, like Abigail Adams, Phillis Wheatley, Louisa May Alcott, Clara Barton, Amelia Earhart, Judith Sargent Murray, and many others. International Women’s Day, typically observed yearly on March 8, first entered the mainstream when the United Nations adopted it in 1977. The U.S. recognizes March as Women’s History Month, and there are plenty of ways to celebrate all month long at art exhibits, films, roundtable discussions, and more.

1. Take part in the ‘Women Take the Reel’ Film Festival

MIT’s Women’s and Gender Studies department will once again host its free annual film festival “Women Take the Reel” from Feb. 23 to March 25. The festival features a handful of films relating to gender, race, sexuality, class, and/or feminism, most of which screen on MIT’s campus. Some of this year’s highlights include “Quiz Lady ” at Tufts’ Barnum Hall on March 7, “20,000 Species of Bees” at MIT’s Bartos Theater on March 8, and a virtual screening of “Atlantique” on March 25.

2. Walk the Women’s Heritage Trail

For a change of pace from the standard Freedom Trail, check out Boston’s Women’s Heritage Trail that showcases spots where Boston women made history. The walk comprises 14 trails, each in a different Boston neighborhood, from Beacon Hill to Jamaica Plain to East Boston. Each self-guided tour has a map online detailing the trail’s historic spots and their significance. The city of Boston also provides a brief overview of the heritage trail on YouTube, featuring sites like the Boston Women’s Memorial (pictured above), the homes of Amy Beach and Louisa May Alcott, and statues of Mary Dyer and Anne Hutchinson.

3. Visit museum exhibits by female artists

Support women in the arts and brush up on your cultural literacy by visiting one of the many art exhibits by female artists at Boston’s museums. Some exhibits to check out right now: “Banner Project” by Iranian-American artist Sheida Soleimani, “Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party,” and “Dinorá Justice: The Lay of the Land,” all currently at the MFA.

4. Eat at women-owned restaurants

Many of Boston’s top restaurants are women-owned or -operated — find a list of some of the city’s women-operated restaurants here. Other notable spots include Grace by Nia in the Seaport, Tres Gatos in JP, Yunnan Kitchen in the South End, Pagu in Cambridge, and Nightshade Noodle Bar in Lynn.

5. Join ‘Equali-tea’ at the BPL on Thursdays

Every Thursday in March at 2 p.m., the Roxbury location of the Boston Public Library hosts “Equali-tea: A Conscious Raising Group.” The Women’s History Month programming is designed to foster conversations about issues like work-life balance, aging and gender, women in leadership, and family planning. The events are free, open to the public, and yes, tea will be served.

6. Attend the 26th Annual International Women’s Day Breakfast

On March 8, International Women’s Day, Simmons University once again hosts its annual breakfast. Two dozen feminist organizations around Boston typically come together to celebrate at the breakfast, and it’s free to sign up as a partner organization. Last year’s panel was moderated by WCVB CityLine’s Karen Holmes Ward.

7. Witness the Women Veterans Roundtable

On March 26, the city hosts a Women Veterans Roundtable, including food and a panel of women veterans speaking about their experiences. The event runs from 6 to 8 p.m., is free and open to the public, and takes place on the fourth floor of Faneuil Hall at 4 South Market.