At a time when women were expected to be sexually passionless, to engage in sex solely for marital reproduction, and typically denied the right to make meaningful decisions about their bodies, Victoria Woodhull advanced more positive attitudes about sexuality.

Women's History Month has been celebrated every March since 1987 to increase awareness of the accomplishments of women, too often omitted from history textbooks. March was chosen in honor of International Women's Day, which was observed for the first time in 1913 by Russian women campaigning for peace on the brink of World War I.

With thousands of annual events throughout the world, Women's History Month has helped create a more complete picture of American and world history for teachers and students across the globe.

One critical aspect of our history being reconstructed and reclaimed through "women's history" is the inclusion of topics such as birth control, sexual freedom, domestic law, and female sexuality. Researchers and social scientists have barely scratched the surface of a rich and fascinating history that helps us understand where we have come from-and where we are today.

For centuries, powerful forces have worked hard to strip sexuality from the West's cultural history. For five centuries the Vatican published lists of books forbidden to Catholics. "Wholesome," Bowdlerized versions of the Bible and Shakespeare polluted the 19th century. Islamic invaders destroyed erotic art across Medieval Europe and Asia. New York Postal Inspector Anthony Comstock destroyed 15 tons of books. Margaret Sanger was jailed for opening America's first birth control clinic. Alfred Kinsey lost his funding as punishment for doing sex research.

Women's history IS history, as much as Socrates, 1776, and the steam engine are history. And Victoria Woodhull is a part of that history and her words often reflect the issues we face today.

Though much has changed since the Victorian era, we still face negative attitudes about sexuality in our culture today. People are still stigmatized, systematically discriminated against, even brutally victimized because of their sexual expression. Many, many others lack access to the sexual health care and information that should be every human's birthright.

The Woodhull Freedom Foundation is grateful for the contributions that women throughout history have made towards achieving sexual freedom. We are proud to be part of that work today, and reaffirm our commitment to accomplishing Victoria Woodhull's sex-positive vision--the recognition of sexual freedom as everyone's fundamental human right!