Let's Celebrate Women...We are amzing and important girls, Don't ever forget it!!!!
International Women's Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the economic,
political and social achievements of women past, present and future. In some places like China, Russia, Vietnam and
Bulgaria, International Women's Day is a national holiday.
International Women's Day has been observed since in the early 1900's, 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.
Women's 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 Woman's 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
n 1910 a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named a
Clara Zetkin
(Leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in
Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women's Day. She proposed
that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the
same day - a
Women's Day - to press for their demands. The
conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions,
socialist parties, working women's clubs, and including the first three
women elected to the Finnish parliament, greeted Zetkin's suggestion
with unanimous approval and thus International Women's Day was the
result.
1911
Following the decision agreed at Copenhagen in 1911, International Women's 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 women's
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 Women's Day events. 1911 also saw women's '
Bread and Roses' campaign.
1913-1914
On the eve of World War I campaigning for peace, Russian women
observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in
February 1913.
In 1913 following discussions, International Women's Day was transferred
to 8 March and this day has remained the global date for International
Wommen's Day ever since. In 1914 further women across Europe held
rallies to campaign against the war and to express women's 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
women's 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 Women's 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 women's rights and participation in social, political and economic
processes. 1975 was designated as 'International Women's Year'
by the United Nations. Women's organisations and governments around the
world have also observed IWD annually on 8 March by holding large-scale
events that honour women's advancement and while diligently reminding of
the continued vigilance and action required to ensure that women's
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 Mother's Day where children
give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.
The new millennium has witnessed a significant
change and attitudinal shift in both women's and society's thoughts
about women's equality and emancipation. Many from a younger generation
feel that 'all the battles have been won for women' while many feminists
from the 1970's 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
women's 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 women's 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 women's craft markets, theatric
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 'Women's
History Month'.
So make a difference, think globally and act
locally !! Make everyday International Women's Day. Do your bit to
ensure that the future for girls is bright, equal, safe and rewarding.
