International Womens Day International Womens Day has been observed since in the early 1900s, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies. 1908 Great unrest and critical debate was occurring amongst women. Womens oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. Then in 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. 1909 In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Womans Day (NWD) was observed across the United States on 28 February. Women continued to celebrate NWD on the last Sunday of February until 1913. 1910 A second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named a Clara Zetkin (Leader of the Womens Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Womens Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day - a Womens Day - to press for their demands. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working womens clubs, and including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament, greeted Zetkins suggestion with unanimous approval and thus International Womens Day was the result. 1911 Following the decision agreed at Copenhagen in 1911, International Womens Day (IWD) was honoured the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for womens rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. However less than a week later on 25 March, the tragic Triangle Fire in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This disastrous event drew significant attention to working conditions and labour legislation in the United States that became a focus of subsequent International Womens Day events. 1911 also saw womens Bread and Roses campaign. 1913-1914 On the eve of World War I campaigning for peace, Russian women observed their first International Womens Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. In 1913 following discussions, International Womens Day was transferred to 8 March and this day has remained the global date for International Womens Day ever since. In 1914 further women across Europe held rallies to campaign against the war and to express womens solidarity. 1917 On the last Sunday of February, Russian women began a strike for bread and peace in response to the death over 2 million Russian soldiers in war. Opposed by political leaders the women continued to strike until four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. The date the womens strike commenced was Sunday 23 February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia. This day on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere was 8 March. 1918 - 1999 Since its birth in the socialist movement, International Womens Day has grown to become a global day of recognition and celebration across developed and developing countries alike. For decades, IWD has grown from strength to strength annually. For many years the United Nations has held an annual IWD conference to coordinate international efforts for womens rights and participation in social, political and economic processes. 1975 was designated as International Womens Year by the United Nations. Womens organisations and governments around the world have also observed IWD annually on 8 March by holding large-scale events that honour womens advancement and while diligently reminding of the continued vigilance and action required to ensure that womens equality is gained and maintained in all aspects of life. 2000 and beyond IWD is now an official holiday in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia. The tradition sees men honouring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mothers Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers. The new millennium has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both womens and societys thoughts about womens equality and emancipation. Many from a younger generation feel that all the battles have been won for women while many feminists from the 1970s know only too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of womens visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally womens education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men. However, great improvements have been made. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. And so the tone and nature of IWD has, for the past few years, moved from being a reminder about the negatives to a celebration of the positives. Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local womens craft markets, theatrics performances, fashion parades and more. Many global corporations have also started to more actively support IWD by running their own internal events and through supporting external ones. For example, on 8 March search engine and media giant Google some years even changes its logo on its global search pages. Year on year IWD is certainly increasing in status. The United States even designates the whole month of March as Womens History Month. So make a difference, think globally and act locally !! Make everyday International Womens Day. Do your bit to ensure that the future for girls is bright, equal, safe and rewarding.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Feb 2014 10:13:50 +0000
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