International Women's Day
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International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The purpose of this day is to highlight women's achievements, recognize the challenges they faced, and focus on women's rights and gender equality.
The History of International Women’s Day:
1908- 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding voting rights, better pay, and shorter
1909- The first National Women's Day was observed across the U.S. on February 28.
1910- A woman named Clara Zetkin proposed the idea of an International Women's Day at a Working Women conference, and it was approved.
1911- Following the agreed decision for International Women’s Day, the tragic 'Triangle Fire' in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women.
1913-1914- The day before WW1, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day. After discussions, International Women's Day was marked annually on March 8. In 1914, European women held rallies to campaign against the war and express women's solidarity.
1917- At the end of February, Russian women began a strike for "bread and peace" after 2 million Russian soldiers died in WW1. Although initially opposed by political leaders, Russian women continued to strike and were eventually granted the right to vote.
1975- International Women's Day was celebrated by United Nations.
1996- The UN announced their first International Women's Day theme which was "Celebrating the past, Planning for the Future".
2000 and Beyond- The world has witnessed a significant change in both women's and society's thoughts about women's equality. There have been very rewarding moments, campaigns and rallies that have helped lessen the gender gap, however, inequalities still exist. We must continue to spread awareness on women’s rights and educate others to help improve women’s lives.
