Who run the world? Girls: Women's History Month

Melanie Spencer

Mar 3, 2026

Empowering Women women women in business Women's History Month

Lawyer Inez Milholland Boissevain prepares to lead the Suffrage Parade, on March 3, 1913. Library of Congress Photo

Photo Caption: Library of Congress Photo: Lawyer Inez Milholland Boissevain prepares to lead the Suffrage Parade, on March 3, 1913.

Happy Women's History Month, y'all! And also, happy anniversary of the 1913 Suffrage Parade! Did you know that on this day, March 3, in 1913, more than 5,000 women took to Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., and staged something the country had never seen before: the first large, organized political march on Washington led by women? It was strategically planned for the day before President Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration — because if you want the nation’s attention, you show up when the cameras are already rolling!

The procession, organized by suffragists including Alice Paul, was equal parts political protest and visual masterclass. Women marched in white, grouped by state and profession — teachers, writers, doctors, mothers. The procession made it clear that women were already contributing to American life in every meaningful way. The right to vote was long overdue.

Spectators jeered and shoved and police largely failed to protect the marchers. More than 100 women were hospitalized. And yet, the impact was undeniable. The spectacle forced congressional hearings and national headlines. The issue of women’s suffrage was no longer polite dinner conversation.

Seven years later, the 19th Amendment was ratified, granting women the right to vote. The victory, of course, was not equally realized — many women of color continued to face voter suppression for decades. But March 3, 1913, remains a reminder of what happens when women organize with clarity and courage.

What does any of this have to do with Maison Mariann? First and foremost, as co-founders, we — Melanie and Stacy — come from strong, independent women who stood firmly at the head of our largely matriarchal families. Our inspiration, Mariann, was a product of that type of upbringing, as well.

Additionally, we are both members of Kappa Alpha Theta, the first Greek-letter fraternity for women, founded in 1870 — 50 years before women secured the right to vote. (Which is the inspriation for designing our Shine Bright kite/diamond charm.) Theta was established on the radical belief that women belonged in higher education, in intellectual life and in leadership. At a time when women’s voices were largely excluded from civic power, organizations like Theta cultivated scholarship, community and civic engagement. Many of its early members were active in suffrage and reform movements, embodying the same conviction that animated the 1913 marchers: women’s participation in public life is not optional — it is essential.

This through line matters at Maison Mariann, because as you can see, empowerment is part of our DNA. We are committed to supporting and creating platforms where women’s ideas are centered and amplified. It’s about economic agency, creative expression, pulling other women up and showing up with authority in rooms that weren’t always built with us in mind.

The suffragists marched for access, policy and power, not applause. They did this knowing the outcome was uncertain. Women’s History Month isn’t a nostalgia trip. Rather, it’s momentum coupled with an invitation to examine where we’re being called to step forward — whether that’s in business, creative work, our personal lives and communities or civic life.

More than a century later, the message is still relevant: visibility, strategy and sisterhood matters. When women move together — intentionally, intelligently and unapologetically — history shifts.

Cheers,