Every year, March 8 is celebrated around the world as International Women’s Day.
Why Women’s Day?
Why dedicate a day exclusively to the celebration of the world’s women?The United Nations General Assembly, which is composed of delegates from all the member countries, mentioned two reasons: firstly, to recognize the fact that peace and social progress require the active participation and equality of women; secondly, to acknowledge the contribution of women to international peace and security.For the women of the world, the Day's symbolism has a wider meaning: It is an occasion to review how far they have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development.It has -- or it must have -- a wider significance for all of society. At the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, representatives of 189 different countries agreed that inequalities between women and men has serious consequences for the well-being of all people.The final document issued by the conference (called the "Platform for Action") had this to say: "The advancement of women and the achievement of equality between women and men are a matter of human rights and a condition for social justice and should not be seen in isolation as a women's issue."Until the rights and full potential of women are achieved, lasting solutions to the world's most serious social, economic and political problems are unlikely to be found.
But is there really inequality between men and women?
In one word, yes.It is true, though, that recent decades have seen progress. Women's access to education and proper health care has increased; their participation in the paid labour force has grown; and legislation that promises equal opportunities for women and respect for their human rights has been adopted in many countries. The world now has a growing number of women as policy-makers.However, nowhere in the world can women claim to have the same rights and opportunities as men. They continue to be among the poorest overall: the majority of the world's 1.3 billion absolute poor are women. On average, women receive between 30 and 40 per cent less pay than men earn for the same work. And everywhere women continue to be victims of violence, with rape and domestic violence listed as significant causes of disability and death among women of reproductive age worldwide.
How It Happened: A brief history of International Women’s Day
The idea of an International Women's Day first arose at the turn of the century, which in the industrialized world was a period of expansion and turbulence, booming population growth and radical ideologies.Following is a brief chronology of the most important events:
- On 8 March 1857 women working in clothing and textile factories (called 'garment workers') in New York City, in the United States, staged a protest. They were fighting against inhumane working conditions and low wages. The police attacked the protestors and dispersed them. Two years later, again in March, these women formed their first labour union to try and protect themselves and gain some basic rights in the workplace.
- On 8 March 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter work hours, better pay, voting rights and an end to child labour. They adopted the slogan "Bread and Roses", with bread symbolizing economic security and roses a better quality of life. In May, the Socialist Party of America designated the last Sunday in February for the observance of National Women's Day.
- Following the declaration of the Socialist Party of America, the first ever National Woman's Day was celebrated in the United States on 28 February 1909. Women continued to celebrate it on the last Sunday of that month through 1913.
- An international conference, held by socialist organizations from around the world, met in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1910. The conference of the Socialist International proposed a Women's Day which was designed to be international in character. The proposal initially came from Clara Zetkin, a German socialist, who suggested an International Day to mark the strike of garment workers in the United States. The proposal was greeted with unanimous approval by the conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, including the first three women elected to the parliament of Finland. The Day was established to honour the movement for women's rights, including the right to vote (known as ‘suffrage’). At that time no fixed date was selected for the observance.
- The declaration of the Socialist International had an impact. The following year, 1911, International Women’s Day was marked for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. The date was March 19 and over a million men and women took to the streets in a series of rallies. In addition to the right to vote and to hold public office, they demanded the right to work and an end to discrimination on the job.
- Less than a week later, on 25 March, the tragic Triangle Fire in New York City took place. Over 140 workers, mostly young Italian and Jewish immigrant girls, working at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company lost their lives because of the lack of safety measures. The Women’s Trade Union League and the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union led many of the protests against this avoidable tragedy, including the silent funeral march which brought together a crowd of over 100,000 people. The Triangle Fire had a significant impact on labour legislation and the horrible working conditions leading up to the disaster were invoked during subsequent observances of International Women's Day.
- As part of the peace movement brewing on the eve of World War I, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. 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 their sisters.
- With 2 million Russian soldiers dead in the war, Russian women again chose the last Sunday in February 1917 to strike for "bread and peace". Political leaders opposed the timing of the strike, but the women went on anyway. The rest is history: Four days later the Czar of Russia was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. That historic Sunday fell on 23 February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia, but coincided with 8 March on the Gregorian calendar used by people elsewhere.
Since those early years, International Women's Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. In December 1977 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace. Four global United Nations women's conferences have helped make the demand for women's rights and participation in the political and economic process a growing reality.
So in the eve of International Women's Day... its time to celebrate being a woman and also about being a part of a woman. On this occasion remember all the women in your life and make them feel as extraordinary as they always are. Reach out to all your loved women friends/ family members by sending wishes and make them feel truly special. :-)
TOP COMPANIES SUPPORTING WOMEN & IWDMany companies have actively supported International Women's Day and women's advancement for many years. This is essential if they are to recruit and retain the best female talent, sell their products/services to them, and see more women investing in them. Below are some of the leading companies from around the world supporting women's advancement and IWD. Read what these companies do every day that continuously sets them apart in terms of their competitive committment to women.
FEATURED ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTING IWDFor many years women's organisations, governments, charities and public bodies around the world have worked tirelessly to provide significant leadership in supporting and coordinating high-impact International Women's Day events and initiatives. Below are some of the key organisations that to date have delivered considerable support and leadership for International Women's Day as we presently know it.
- Aurora
- Aurora
- UNIFEM and Women Watch (UN)
- UNESCO
FEATURED GOVERNMENTS SUPPORTING IWDGovernments around the world view International Women's Day as an important opportunity to address the social, economic and political barriers, as well as achievements, of women. Below are the key governments from around the world who have actively and consistently supported International Women's Day.
- Australian Government
- Australian Government
FEATURED UNIVERSITIES SUPPORTING IWDMany universities around the world have conducted important and insightful research into women's advancement and have used International Women's Day as a platform to provide useful events and opportunities to remind society of the facts about women's equality. Below are the key universities that have been most active to date in supporting International Women's Day.
- Bethlehem University, Palestine
- Bethlehem University, Palestine
FEATURED MEDIA GROUPS COVERING IWDAnnual coverage of International Women's Day is significant, ranging from small editorials in provincial and regional newspapers through to large-scale indepth global specials and features. Below are the key media bodies who have covered International Women's Day most extensively to date.
- Aljazeera TV, Doha, Qatar
- Aljazeera TV, Doha, Qatar
- BBC, UK
