History of International Women's Day

Introduction
International Women's 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. It is an occasion for looking back on past struggles and
accomplishments, and more importantly, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities
that await future generations of women.
In 1975, during International Women's Year, the United Nations began celebrating International Women's
Day on 8 March. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution
proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day
of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions. In adopting
its resolution, the General Assembly recognized the role of women in peace efforts and development
and urged an end to discrimination and an increase of support for women's full and equal participation.

History
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.
1909: The first National Woman's Day was observed in the United States on 28 February. 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.
1910: The Socialist International, meeting in Copenhagen, established a Women's Day, international in
character, to honour the movement for women's rights and to build support for achieving universal
suffrage for women. The proposal was greeted with unanimous approval by the conference of over 100
women from 17 countries, which included the first three women elected to the Finnish Parliament. No
fixed date was selected for the observance.
1911: As a result of the Copenhagen initiative, International Women's Day was marked for the first
time (19 March) in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, where more than one million women

and men attended rallies. In addition to the right to vote and to hold public office, they demanded
women's rights to work, to vocational training and to an end to discrimination on the job.
1913-1914: International Women's Day also became a mechanism for protesting World War I. As part of
the peace movement, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday
in February. Elsewhere in Europe, on or around 8 March of the following year, women held rallies either
to protest the war or to express solidarity with other activists.
1917: Against the backdrop of the war, women in Russia again chose to protest and strike for 'Bread
and Peace' on the last Sunday in February (which fell on 8 March on the Gregorian calendar). Four days
later, the Czar abdicated and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote.
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. Increasingly, International Women's Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to
call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have
played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.

The United Nations and Gender Equality

The Charter of the United Nations, signed in 1945, was the first international agreement to affirm the
principle of equality between women and men. Since then, the UN has helped create a historic legacy
of internationally-agreed strategies, standards, programmes and goals to advance the status of women
worldwide.
Over the years, the UN and its technical agencies have promoted the participation of women as equal
partners with men in achieving sustainable development, peace, security, and full respect for human
rights. The empowerment of women continues to be a central feature of the UN's efforts to address
social, economic and political challenges across the globe.

International Women's Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women's Day, is
celebrated on March 8 every year.[2]In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from

general celebration of respect, appreciation, and love towards women to a celebration for women's
economic, political, and social achievements. Started as a Socialist political event, the holiday
blended the culture of many countries, primarily in Europe, especially those in the Soviet Bloc. In
some regions, the day lost its political flavor, and became simply an occasion for people to express
their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother's Dayand Valentine's Day. In
other regions, however, the political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs
strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and
examined in a hopeful manner. Some people celebrate the day by wearing purple ribbons.

History[edit]
The earliest Womens Day observance was held on February 28, 1909, in New York; it was
organized by the Socialist Party of America in remembrance of the 1908 strike of the International
Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.[3] There was no specific strike happening on March 8, despite later
claims.[4]
In August 1910, an International Women's Conference was organized to precede the general
meeting of the Socialist Second International in Copenhagen, Denmark. Inspired in part by the
American socialists, German Socialist Luise Zietz proposed the establishment of an annual
'International Woman's Day' (singular) and was seconded by fellow socialist and later communist
leaderClara Zetkin, although no date was specified at that conference. [5][6] Delegates (100 women
from 17 countries) agreed with the idea as a strategy to promote equal rights, including suffrage, for
women.[7] The following year, on March 19, 1911, IWD was marked for the first time, by over a million
people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.[3] In the Austro-Hungarian Empire alone,
there were 300 demonstrations.[5] In Vienna, women paraded on the Ringstrasse and carried
banners honouring the martyrs of the Paris Commune.[5] Women demanded that women be given the
right to vote and to hold public office. They also protested against employment sex discrimination.
[2]

Americans continued to celebrate National Women's Day on the last Sunday in February.[5]

Female members of the AustralianBuilders Labourers Federation march on International Women's Day 1975 in
Sydney

In 1913 Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Saturday in
February (by Julian calendar then used in Russia).[4]
Although there were some women-led strikes, marches, and other protests in the years leading up to
1914, none of them happened on March 8.[4] In 1914 International Women's Day was held on March
8, possibly because that day was a Sunday, and now it is always held on March 8 in all countries.
[4]

The 1914 observance of the Day in Germany was dedicated to women's right to vote, which

German women did not win until 1918.[4][8]

In London there was a march from Bow to Trafalgar Square in support of women's suffrage on 8
March 1914. Sylvia Pankhurst was arrested in front of Charing Cross station on her way to speak in
Trafalgar Square.[9]
In 1917 demonstrations marking International Women's Day in Saint Petersburg on the last
Thursday in February (which fell on March 8 on the Gregorian calendar) initiated the February
Revolution.[2] Women in Saint Petersburg went on strike that day for Bread and Peace" - demanding
the end of World War I, an end to Russian food shortages, and the end of czarism. [4] Leon
Trotskywrote, "23 February (8th March) was International Womans Day and meetings and actions
were foreseen. But we did not imagine that this Womens Day would inaugurate the revolution.
Revolutionary actions were foreseen but without date. But in morning, despite the orders to the
contrary, textile workers left their work in several factories and sent delegates to ask for support of
the strike which led to mass strike... all went out into the streets."

[4]

Following the October Revolution, the Bolshevik Alexandra Kollontai and Vladimir Lenin made it
an official holiday in the Soviet Union, and it was established, but was a working day until 1965. On
May 8th, 1965 by the decree of the USSR Presidium of the Supreme SovietInternational Women's
Day was declared a non-working day in the USSR "in commemoration of the outstanding merits of
Soviet women in communistic construction, in the defense of their Fatherland during the Great
Patriotic War, in their heroism and selflessness at the front and in the rear, and also marking the
great contribution of women to strengthening friendship between peoples, and the struggle for
peace. But still, women's day must be celebrated as are other holidays."
From its official adoption in Russia following the Soviet Revolution in 1917 the holiday was
predominantly celebrated in communist and socialist countries. It was celebrated by the communists
in China from 1922, and by Spanish communists from 1936.[10] After the founding of the People's
Republic of China on October 1, 1949 the state council proclaimed on December 23 that March 8
would be made an official holiday with women in China given a half-day off. [11]

In the West, International Women's Day was first observed as a popular event after 1977 when
the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN
Day for women's rights and world peace.[12]

Official UN themes[edit]
Year

199
6

199
7

199
8

199
9

200
0

200
1

200
2

200
3

UN Theme[13]

Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future

Women and the Peace Table

Women and Human Rights

World Free of Violence Against Women

Women Uniting for Peace

Women and Peace: Women Managing Conflicts

Afghan Women Today: Realities and Opportunities

Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals

200
4

200
5

200
6

200
7

200
8

200
9

201
0

2011

201
2

201
3

Women and HIV/AIDS

Gender Equality Beyond 2005; Building a More Secure Future

Women in Decision-making

Ending Impunity for Violence Against Women and Girls

Investing in Women and Girls

Women and Men United to End Violence Against Women and Girls

Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All

Equal Access to Education, Training, and Science and Technology: Pathway to Decent
Work for Women

Empower Rural Women, End Poverty and Hunger

A Promise is a Promise: Time for Action to End Violence Against Women

201
4

201
5

Equality for Women is Progress for All

Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity: Picture it!

2010 International Women's Day[edit]

On the occasion of 2010 International Women's Day the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) drew attention to the hardships displaced women endure. The displacement of
populations is one of the gravest consequences of today's armed conflicts. It affects women in a host
of ways.[14]

2011 International Women's Day[edit]

U.S. Army officer Lt Col Pam Moody with a group of Afghan women on International Women's Day 2011

Events took place in more than 100 countries[15] on March 8, 2011 to commemorate the 100th
anniversary of International Women's Day.[16] In the United States, President Barack
Obama proclaimed March 2011 to be "Women's History Month", calling Americans to mark IWD by
reflecting on "the extraordinary accomplishments of women" in shaping the country's history.
[15]

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the "100 Women Initiative: Empowering Women and

Girls through International Exchanges", on the eve of IWD.[17] In the run-up to 2011 International
Women's Day, the Red Cross called on States and other entities not to relent in their efforts to
prevent rape and other forms of sexual violence that harm the lives and dignity of countless women
in conflict zones around the world every year.[18] In Pakistan, the Punjab Government Project Gender

Reform Action Plan (GRAP), Gujranwala District celebrated this day at the GIFT
University Gujranwala. Shazia Ashfaq Mattu, MPA and GRAP officer Yasir Nawaz Manj organized
the events.[citation needed]
Australia issued an IWD 100th anniversary commemorative 20 cent coin.
In Egypt however, the day was a step back for women. In Egypts Tahrir Square, hundreds of men
came out not in support, but to harass the women who came out to stand up for their rights as the
police and military stood by watching the events unfold in front of them. "The women - some in
headscarves and flowing robes, others in jeans - had marched to Cairo's central Tahrir Square to
celebrate International Women's Day. But crowds of men soon outnumbered them and chased them
out," wrote Hadeel Al-Shalchi for The Associated Press (AP).[19]

2012 International Women's Day[edit]

The UN theme for International Women's Day 2012 was Empower Rural Women End Hunger and
Poverty.[20] In that year, Oxfam America invited people to celebrate inspiring women in their lives by
sending a free International Women's Day e-Card or honoring a woman whose efforts had made a
difference in the fight against hunger and poverty with Oxfam's International Women's Day award. [21]
On the occasion of International Women's Day 2012, the ICRC called for more action to help the
mothers and wives of people who have gone missing during armed conflict. The vast majority of
people who go missing in connection with conflict are men. As well as the anguish of not knowing
what has happened to the missing husband or son, many of these women face economic and
practical difficulties. The ICRC underlined the duty of parties to a conflict to search for the missing
and provide information to the families.[22]
The Google Doodle for March 8, 2012 had an International Women's Day theme.[23]

2013 International Women's Day[edit]

The UN theme for International Women's Day 2013 was "A promise is a promise: Time for action to
end violence against women,"[24] while International Women's Day 2013 declared the year's theme as
The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum.[25]
The 2013 International Women's Day, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) draw
attention to the plight of women in prison.[26]

2014 International Women's Day[edit]

The UN theme for International Women's Day 2014 is "Equality for Women is Progress for All". [27][28]
The Google Doodle on the eve of IWD 2014 (7 March 2014) featured an International Women's day
doodle video on YouTube, showing images and videos of women from around the world, with music
by Zap Mama.[29][30]
American singer Beyonc Knowles also posted an International Women's Day on YouTube video to
her YouTube account. Throughout the video, her song ***Flawless plays, which includes a portion of
the "we should all be feminists" speech given by author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Knowles is a
modern-day feminist.[31]

2015 International Women's Day[edit]

The UN theme for International Women's Day 2015 is "Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity:
Picture it!".[32] Governments and activists around the world will commemorate the 20th anniversary
year of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, an historic roadmap that sets the agenda for
realizing women's rights.[33]
The International Womans Day theme for 2015 is Make It Happen with a dedicated hashtag for
social media.[34]

2017 International Women's Day[edit]

2017 will be the hundredth anniversary of the Russian Revolution, which was sparked on March 8,
1917 by women protesting against bread shortages in St. Petersburg. These events culminated in
the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II on March 15. Worldwide celebrations and re-enactments are
scheduled to begin on March 8, 2017. Among the organizers is the Ukrainian women's direct action
group FEMEN, which aims "to shake women in Ukraine, making them socially active; to organize in
2017 a women's revolution."[35] On this day a global women's strike including a sex strike is planned,
called by, among others, the International Union of Sex Workers.[citation needed]

In modern culture[edit]

Official holiday

Holiday for women

Non-official holiday

The mimosa (technically, the silver wattle) is the symbol of the celebrations of Women's day in Italy and Russia

The day is an official holiday in Afghanistan,[36] Angola, Armenia,[37] Azerbaijan,[38] Belarus,[39]Burkina

Faso,[40] Cambodia,[41] China (for women only),[42] Cuba,[43] Georgia,[44] Guinea-Bissau,[36] Eritrea,
[36]

Kazakhstan,[45] Kyrgyzstan,[46] Laos,[47] Macedonia (for women only), Madagascar (for women only),

[48]

Moldova,[49] Mongolia,[50] Nepal (for women only),[36] Russia,[36]Tajikistan,[36] Turkmenistan,[36] Uganda,

[36]

Ukraine,[36] Uzbekistan,[51] Vietnam,[52] and Zambia.[53]

In some countries, such as Cameroon,[54] Croatia,[55] Romania,[56] Montenegro,[citation needed]Bosnia and

Herzegovina,[57] Serbia,[citation needed] Bulgaria[citation needed] and Chile,[58] the day is not a public holiday, but is
widely observed nonetheless. On this day it is customary for men to give the women in their lives
friends, mothers, wives, girlfriends, daughters, colleagues, etc. flowers and small gifts. In some
countries (such as Bulgaria and Romania) it is also observed as an equivalent of Mother's Day,
where children also give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers. [56]

The 1932 Soviet poster dedicated to the March 8 holiday. The text reads: "8th of March is the day of rebellion of
the working women against kitchen slavery" and "Down with the oppression and narrow-mindedness of
household work!". Originally in the USSR the holiday had a clear political character, emphasizing the role of the
Soviet state in the liberation of women from their second-class-citizen status.

However, with time the meaning of the holiday evolved to an apolitical celebration of women. Most late Soviet
March 8 postcards carried no political meaning.

In Armenia, after the collapse of the Soviet Union celebrations of IWD were abandoned. Instead,
April 7 was introduced as state holiday of 'Beauty and Motherhood'. The new holiday immediately
became popular amongArmenians, as it commemorates one of the main holidays of the Armenian
Church, the Annunciation. However, people still kept celebrating IWD on March 8 as well. Public
discussion held on the topic of two Women's Days in Armenia resulted in the recognition of the socalled Women's Month which is the period between March 8 and April 7.
In Italy, to celebrate the day, men give yellow mimosas to women.[59][60] Teresa Mattei chose the
mimosa as the symbol of IWD in Italy because she felt that the French symbols of the
day, violets and lily-of-the-valley, were too scarce and expensive to be used effectively in Italy.
[61]

Yellow mimosas and chocolate are also one of the most common March 8 presents in Russia and

Albania.
In many countries, such as in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Colombia, Estonia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland,
Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine the
custom of giving women flowers still prevails [within these regions only]. Women also sometimes get
gifts from their employers. Schoolchildren often bring gifts for their female teachers, too.

In countries like Portugal groups of women usually celebrate on the night of March 8 in "womenonly" dinners and parties.[citation needed]
In Pakistan working women in formal and informal sectors celebrate International Women's Day
every year to commemorate their ongoing struggle for due rights, despite facing many cultural and
religious restrictions. Some women working for change in society use IWM to help the movement for
women's rights. In Poland, for instance, every IWD includes large feminist demonstrations in major
cities.[62]
In 1975, which was designated as International Women's Year, the United Nations gave official
sanction to, and began sponsoring, International Women's Day.
As for efforts to achieve official recognition in the United States of America, actress and human rights
activist Beata Pozniak worked with the Mayor of Los Angeles and the Governor of California to lobby
members of the U.S. Congress to propose official recognition of the holiday. In February, 1994, H.J.
Res. 316 was introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters, along with 79 cosponsors, in an attempt to
officially recognize March 8 of that year as International Women's Day. The bill was subsequently
referred to, and remained in, the House Committee on Post Office and Civil Service. No vote of
either house of Congress was achieved on this piece of legislation.[63]
The 2005 Congress (conference) of the British Trades Union Congress overwhelmingly approved a
resolution calling for IWD to be designated a public holiday in the United Kingdom.
Since 2005, IWD has been celebrated in Montevideo, either on the principal street, 18 de Julio, or
alternatively through one of its neighbourhoods. The event has attracted much publicity due to a
group of female drummers, La Melaza, who have performed each year.[64]
Today, many events are held by women's groups around the world. The UK-based marketing
company Aurora hosts a free worldwide register of IWD local events[65] so that women and the media
can learn about local activity. Many governments and organizations around the world support IWD.
In Taiwan, International Women's Day is marked by the annual release of a government survey on
women's waist sizes, accompanied by warnings that weight gain can pose a hazard to women's
health.[66]

Controversies[edit]
In Communist Czechoslovakia, huge Soviet-style celebrations were held annually. After the fall of
Communism, the holiday, generally considered to be one of the major symbols of the old regime, fell
into obscurity. International Women's Day was re-established as an official "important day" by

the Parliament of the Czech Republic only recently,[when?] on the proposal of the Social
Democrats and Communists. This has provoked some controversy as a large part of the public as
well as the political right see the holiday as a relic of the nation's Communist past. [citation needed] In 2008,
the Christian conservative Czechoslovak People's Party's deputies unsuccessfully proposed the
abolition of the holiday. However, some non-government organizations consider the official
recognition of International Women's Day as an important reminder of women's role in the society.
International Women's Day sparked violence in Tehran, Iran on March 4, 2007, when police beat
hundreds of men and women who were planning a rally. Police arrested dozens of women and some
were released after several days of solitary confinement and interrogation. [67] Shadi Sadr, Mahbubeh
Abbasgholizadeh and several more community activists were released on March 19, 2007, ending a
fifteen-day hunger strike.[68]

Apocrypha[edit]
A popular apocryphal story which surfaced in French Communist circles[69][70] claimed that women
from clothing and textile factories had staged a protest on March 8, 1857 in New York City.[71] The
story alleged that garment workers were protesting against very poor working conditions and low
wages and were attacked and dispersed by police. It was claimed that this event led to a rally in
commemoration of its 50th anniversary in 1907. Temma Kaplan[69] explains that "neither event seems
to have taken place, but many Europeans think March 8, 1907, inaugurated International Women's
Day."[69] Speculating about the origins of this 1857 legend, Liliane Kandel and Franoise Picq
suggested it was likely that (in recent times) some felt it opportune to detach International Women's
Day from its basis in Soviet history and ascribe to it a more "international" origin which could be
painted as more ancient than Bolshevism and more spontaneous than a decision of Congress or the
initiative of those women affiliated to the Party.[70]