International woman day being marked today

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Adopted by the UN in 1977, every year, March 8 is celebrated as International Women’s Day.

International woman day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. International Women’s Day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe.

Since those early years, International Women’s Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women’s movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nations women’s conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women’s rights and participation in the political and economic arenas.

Apart from focusing on women-centric developments, this day also emphasises on the importance of gender equality. The day has come to be increasingly associated with feminism and equal rights for all. Every year, a theme is picked to celebrate this day. This year, it is “Think equal, build smart, innovate for change”.

 

Here’s A Look At How International Women’s Day Emerged:

In 1909, the first National Woman’s Day was observed in the United States on February 28. The Socialist Party of America designated this day in honour of the 1908 garment workers’ strike in New York, where women protested against working conditions.

After Copenhagen’s initiative in 1910, International Women’s Day was marked for the first time on March 19 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, where more than one million women and men attended rallies. They demanded women’s rights to work, to vocational training and to an end to discrimination on the job.

In 1913-1914, International Women’s Day became a mechanism for protesting during World War I. In Europe, on or around March 8, women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with other activists.

Against the backdrop of the war, women in Russia chose to protest and strike for “Bread and Peace” on the last Sunday in February 19117 (which fell on 8 March on the Gregorian calendar).

In 1975, during International Women’s Year, the United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day 8 March 8.

In 1977, the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for women’s rights and world peace.

Later in 1995, a historic roadmap was signed by 189 governments during the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action which envisioned a world where each woman and girl can exercise her choices, such as participating in politics, getting an education, having an income, and living in societies free from violence and discrimination.