International Women's Day

4,000 women and their supporters marched through downtown Manila in 2008

International Women's Day (IWD) is marked on March 8 every year. It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women.

It started as a political protest on March 8, 1857, 1859 and 1908 when women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. The holiday that developed blended the culture of many countries (primarily Russia and the countries of the former Soviet bloc). In some celebrations, the political and human rights theme as 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. In others, however, the day lost its political flavor, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love to the women around them in a way somewhat similar to Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day mixed together.

Similar to the American "Hallmark Holidays", International Women's Day provides a chance for Cameroonian women to buy 5000 francs worth of brightly colored fabric. They also get to drink in the bars, which isn't usually accepted in village

The IWD is also celebrated as the first spring holiday, in the listed countries below as the first day of March which is considered the first day of the spring season.

History

March 8 rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh

 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.

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 protesters and dispersed them. Two years later, again in March, these women formed their first labor 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 labor. 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 honor 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.

A candlelight walk in Oslo, Norway 2007

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. In 1975 the UN drew global attention to women's concerns by calling for an International Women's year and convening the first conference on women in Mexico City. Another convention was held in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1980. In 1985, the UN convened a third conference on women in Nairobi, Kenya, to look at what had been achieved at the end of the decade. In 1995, Beijing hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women. Representatives from 189 different countries agreed that inequalities between women and men has serious consequences for the well-being of all people. The conference declared a set of goals for progress of women in various areas including politics, health, and education. 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." Five years later, in a 23rd special session of the United Nations General Assembly, "Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the 21st Century" reviewed the progress the world has made towards achieving the goals set out by the Beijing conference. This conference has come to be known as the "Beijing +5" conference. Delegates found both progress and persevering obstacles. The delegates made further agreements to continue carrying out the initiatives of the 1995 women's conference.

The first IWD was observed on 28 February 1909 in the United States following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. Among other relevant historic events, it came to commemorate the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. The idea of having an international women's day was first put forward at the turn of the 20th century amid rapid world industrialization and economic expansion that led to protests over working conditions. By urban legend, women from clothing and textile factories staged one such protest on 8 March 1857 in New York City. The garment workers were protesting against very poor working conditions and low wages. The protesters were attacked and dispersed by police. These women established their first labor union in the same month two years later.

More protests followed on 8 March in subsequent years, most notably in 1908 when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. In 1910 the first international women's conference was held in Copenhagen (in the labor-movement building located at Jagtvej 69, which until recently housed Ungdomshuset) by the Second International and an 'International Women's Day' was established, which was submitted by the important German Socialist Clara Zetkin, although no date was specified. The following year, IWD was marked by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. However, soon thereafter, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City killed over 140 garment workers. A lack of safety measures was blamed for the high death toll. Furthermore, on the eve of World War I, women across Europe held peace rallies on 8 March 1913. In the West, International Women's Day was commemorated during the 1910s and 1920s, but dwindled. It was revived by the rise of feminism in the 1960s.

Demonstrations marking International Women's Day in Russia proved to be the first stage of the Russian Revolution of 1917.

Following the October Revolution, the Bolshevik feminist Alexandra Kollontai persuaded Lenin to make it an official holiday in Russia, and it was established, but was a working day until 1965. On May 8, 1965 by the decree of the USSR Presidium of the Supreme Soviet International Women's Day was declared as a non working day in the USSR "in commemoration of outstanding merits of the Soviet women in communistic construction, in the defense of their Motherland during the Great Patriotic War, their heroism and selflessness at the front and in rear, and also marking the big contribution of women to strengthening friendship between peoples and struggle for the peace."

Results

As a result of the international focus on Women in 1975, a number of institutions were established:

• International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW)
• United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
• International Women's Tribune Center, 1976
• Women's Studies Resource Centre was established in South Australia during July
• Women's Electoral Lobby in South Australia

Also, the United Nations has made women's issues a high priority item on their Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

Women's Day in modern culture

The 1932 Soviet poster dedicated to the 8th of March holiday

The day is an official holiday in Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Italy, Laos, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Zambia, and is observed by men giving the women in their lives - mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc., flowers and small gifts. In some countries (such as Romania) it is also observed as an equivalent of Mother's Day, where children also give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.

The poster right, depicts the original spirit of IWD in the former Soviet Union, "The 8th of March is the day of the rebellion of the working women against the kitchen slavery" and "Down with the oppression and narrow-mindedness of the 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 the second-class citizens' position...

After the collapse of the Soviet Union celebrations of IWD were abandoned in Armenia. Instead April 7 was introduced as a state holiday of ‘Beauty and Motherhood.’ The new holiday immediately became popular among Armenians, as it commemorates one of the main holidays of the Armenian Church, Annunciation. However, people still celebrate 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 so called ‘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. Yellow mimosas and chocolate are also one of the most common March 8 presents in Russia.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Serbia the custom of giving women flowers still prevails. Women sometimes get gifts from their employers too. School children often bring gifts for their teachers as well.

In countries like Portugal and Romania, on the night of March 8, groups of women celebrate in "women-only" dinners and parties.

In India, IWD holds great significance during the daytime celebrations which highlights the power of women in the modern era and how vital their role is in society.

Poster to "All you beautiful ladies"

In 1975, which had been designated as International Women’s Year, the United Nations gave official sanction to it and began sponsoring International Women's Day.

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.

International Women's Day encountered violence in Tehran, Iran on March 4, 2007, when police beat hundreds of men and women who were planning a peaceful demonstration. Police arrested 26 women and many were released after several days of solitary confinement and interrogation. Several prominent community activists, Shadi Sadr and Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh, were finally released on March 19th- ending a fifteen day hunger strike. Not all women arrested have been released and there have been disparate international media reports suggesting as many as 70 arrests.

File:WFWP IWD 3.24.07 076.jpg

Ambassador to the US from Guinea Bissau, HE Purificacion Angue Ondo speaking at the Women's Federation for World Peace, USA commemoration of IWD in 2007

Today many events are held by women's groups around the world. Many governments and organizations around the world support IWD. The United States designates the whole month of March as 'Women's History Month'. Global interest in IWD shows a steady increase.

In 2007 the US State Department initiated an Annual International Woman of Courage Award, presented by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Undersecretary of State Paula Dobriansky, to recognize women who have significantly contributed to peace making around the world. US embassies recommend notable women and eight are chosen to be honored at the State Department in the US on March 8. In addition there are dozens of programs held in March to commemorate the day in the United States. From The Initiative for Inclusive Security to Women's Federation for World Peace, USA's Women's Middle East Peace Initiative (WMEPI) hold events which educate about and highlight the situation of women struggling for equality and peace in the world.

University support

A number of universities around the world have done notable research into women's issues and advancement and use International Women's Day as a platform for useful events and opportunities to educate society about the issues surrounding women's equality. Key active universities to date who have supported International Women's Day are: - Bethlehem University, Palestine - Boise State University, Idaho, US - La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia - London City & Islington College, UK - Fordham University, New York - Monash University, Australia - University of Colorado, US - University of Kansas, US - University of Minnesota, US - University of Vermont, US - University of Western Sydney, Australia

Corporate support

There has been a move by a number of global corporations to support IWD more actively. Some have created their own programs, while others support national or international programs. For the March 8 commemoration, Google changes its logo on its global search pages. HSBC corporation has hosted the largest and longest running IWD event in the United Kingdom through its global women's company, Aurora which hosts a free worldwide register of IWD local events so that women and the media can locate local activity. In 2007, Nortel sponsored IWD activities for thousands of women in over 20 countries. Nortel connects its global workforce though a "coordinated program of high-level IWD activity."

Accenture corporation also supports this effort both online through an IWD webcast and in the public sphere. Accenture sends more than 2,000 of its employees to participate in leadership development sessions, career workshops and corporate citizenship events held across six continents - in eight cities in the United States and in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Spain, South Africa and the UK for International Women's Day.

Media support

Annually, media coverage of International Women's Day is significant, ranging from small editorials in provincial and regional newspapers through to large-scale in-depth global specials and features. Some media bodies cover this event more extensively than others:

- Aljazeera TV, Doha, Qatar - BBC, UK - Bloomberg, UK - Colorado Daily Newspaper, US - CNN, US - Guardian Newspapers Ltd, UK - KUJH-TV, Kansas, US - Radio Prague, Czech Republic - Russia Today, Russia - Women's Radio Fund, Vancouver, Canada

See also

• International Women's Year
• Women's History Month
• International Men's Day

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Bolden, Tanya. 33 Things Every Girl Should Know About Women's History: From Suffragettes to Skirt Lengths to the E.R.A., Crown Books for Young Readers; 1 edition, 2002. ISBN 978-0375811227
• Franklin, Robin and Tasha Lebow Wolf Franklin. Remember the ladies!: a Handbook of Women in American History, Illinois State Board of Education, 1984. ASIN B000H2971Q
• Howard, Angela and Francis M. Kavenik. Handbook of American women's history, Sage Publications, Inc; 2 Sub edition, 2000. ISBN 978-0761916352
• Jones, Constance. 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Women's History, Main Street Books; 1st ed., 2000. ISBN 978-0385483872
• Kandel, Liliane and Françoise Picq, "Le Mythe des origines à propos de la journée internationale des femmes", in: La Revue d'en face, 12, 1982.
• Kaplan, Temma. "On the Socialist Origins of International Women's Day", in Feminist Studies, 11, 1985.
• Lunardini, Christine A. What Every American Should Know About Women's History: 200 Events That Shaped Our Destiny , Bob Adams Inc. Publishers; 1st ed. 1994. ISBN 978-1558504172

External links

All retrieved August 12, 2008.

• International Museum of Women imaginingourselves.imow.org
• International Women's Day 2007 - United Nations web site www.un.org
• IWD www.internationalwomensday.com
• More detailed overview www0.un.org
• Library of Congress Women's History www.loc.gov
• National Women's History Project www.nwhp.org
• Aurora/HSBC supporting organization for IWD www.hsbc.com
• Supporting organization for IWD www.cisco.com
• Supporting organization for IWD www.deloitte.com

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