Women’s History Month 2026: Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Reveals New ‘We Do Declare’ Project

The national theme for Women's History Month 2026 is Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future. This year, the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum is getting a lot of attention because it is entering a very important stage of its growth. 

The museum is still a digital-first institution for now, but it has recently launched the We Do Declare project, which is a groundbreaking oral history archive curated by Rachel Seidman that looks at the connection between financial independence and personal freedom. 

The Smithsonian is working even harder to make sure that women's contributions are no longer footnotes in the American story, but a central part of our shared history as the country gets ready for its 250th anniversary.

What is the ‘We Do Declare’ project?

The centerpiece of the 2026 celebration is the We Do Declare: Women’s Voices on Independence project. This initiative uses first-person storytelling to highlight how women have fought for and secured economic power over the last fifty years.

• Oral History Archive: Features candid interviews with activists who passed laws expanding access to credit and workplace equity.

• Digital Discovery: The project addresses digital gaps where historically significant women are often missing from online databases.

• Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon: On March 23, the museum will host a global event to improve the visibility of women’s history on the internet.

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Is the Women’s History Museum Opening on the National Mall?

The quest for a physical site remains a major talking point for 2026. While the museum was authorized by Congress in 2020, the selection of a permanent location on the National Mall is a complex, multi-year process.

Interim Director Melanie Adams says that the museum's digital-first approach lets it reach millions of Americans right now through mobile exhibitions and virtual galleries, even though the bricks and mortar are still years away.

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Women's History Month 2026 serves as a vital bridge between past struggles and a sustainable future. Through the Smithsonian’s innovative We Do Declare project and the push for a permanent home on the Mall, the U.S. is finally building a truly inclusive historical record. As we approach the nation's semiquincentennial, these stories ensure that women's leadership remains at the heart of the American story.