International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on March 8th to recognize the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women and to advocate for gender equality and women’s rights. The history of IWD dates back to the early 20th century and is rooted in the struggles of working-class women for better working conditions and suffrage.
The first National Women’s Day was observed in the United States on February 28, 1909, organized by the Socialist Party of America to demand better pay and voting rights for women. The following year, Clara Zetkin, a German socialist and feminist, proposed the establishment of an international Women’s Day to promote solidarity among working women and to advance their rights. The idea was approved at the International Socialist Women’s Conference held in Copenhagen in 1910, and the first International Women’s Day was celebrated on March 19 of that year in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland.
In the following years, IWD became an annual event in many countries, featuring rallies, marches, and other forms of activism to address issues such as women’s suffrage, labor rights, peace, and anti-colonialism. During World War I, IWD served as a platform for women’s peace movements and solidarity campaigns. In 1917, Russian women organized a strike and demonstration on March 8th that marked the beginning of the Russian Revolution.
After the war, IWD continued to be observed, but its significance declined in some countries until the 1960s and 1970s, when the feminist movement revived it as a symbol of women’s empowerment and collective action. In 1975, the United Nations officially recognized March 8th as International Women’s Day, and since then, it has become a global celebration and a call for action on a wide range of issues affecting women’s lives, including gender-based violence, reproductive rights, economic inequality, and political representation.
What are the opportunities you can do to continue this for our sisters, friends, colleagues, mothers, and cousins in the world?
International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to celebrate the progress made in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment, while also recognizing the challenges that remain. Moving forward, we can all play a role in helping to make a difference on this important issue. One way to support International Women’s Day is by amplifying the voices of women and girls, especially those from marginalized communities, and promoting their leadership and participation in decision-making. Another way is by advocating for policies and practices that promote gender equality, such as equal pay, paid parental leave, and access to quality education and healthcare. We can also support organizations that work to empower women and girls and address the root causes of gender-based discrimination and violence. By taking these actions, we can help create a world where every woman and girl can live with dignity, safety, and equal opportunities, not just on International Women’s Day, but every day.
Reference
International Women’s Day. (2023). History of International Women’s Day. https://www.internationalwomensday.com/About
United Nations. (2023). International Women’s Day. https://www.un.org/en/observances/womens-day