Women’s International Day: History and Importance Around the World

What is celebrated on the 8th of March each year? 

The 8th of March is a day of action, awareness, and mobilization dedicated to the fight for women’s rights, equality, and justice. Ultimately, the goal is to create a world where all people are treated equally, regardless of their gender. 

Several events and initiatives take place around the world on this occasion, notably to: 

• Reflect, exchange, and advocate for equality between women and men.
• Take stock of what has been done and what remains to be done on the issue of women’s place in society. 
• It is also an opportunity to highlight initiatives that place women at the heart of creation and their participation in social, political, and economic life!

What is the origin of International Women’s Day?

The United Nations made the 8th of March official in 1977. However, the origins of this day lie in the history of workers’ struggles and women’s demonstrations at the turn of the 20th century in North America and Europe: 

• From 1909 onwards, the United States, under the impetus of American socialist women, decided to organize a “National Women’s Day” every year on the last Sunday of February to celebrate equal civil rights.
• At the second International Conference of Socialist Women in Copenhagen in 1910, Clara Zetkin, a German journalist and activist, called on “socialist women of all countries” to organize an annual International Women’s Day. It was celebrated from the 19th of March 1911 in Austria, Germany, Denmark, and Switzerland. 
• In Russia, an “International Women’s Day” was celebrated on the 3rd of March 1913 and then on the 8th of March 1914. On the 8th of March 1917, women demonstrated in the streets of Petrograd (St Petersburg) to demand “bread and peace”. This demonstration marked the beginning of the Russian revolution, and the date of 8 March was officially celebrated in the Soviet Union from 1921. 
• After the Second World War, the 8th of March was celebrated in many countries. Finally, in 1977, the United Nations made International Women’s Day official, encouraging all countries in the world to celebrate women’s rights. 

Why do people wear the color purple? 

Purple stands for justice and dignity. Green symbolizes hope. White represents purity, although this is a controversial concept. These colors were created by the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in the UK in 1908. 

Why is today important? 

We need to recognize International Women’s Day because, despite significant progress over the years, gender inequality and discrimination against women still exist in many parts of the world. This day serves as a reminder that much work still needs to be done to achieve gender parity and ensure that women’s rights are respected and protected. 

Over the past year, women in many countries, such as Afghanistan, Iran, and Ukraine, have been fighting for their rights against a backdrop of war, violence, and policy changes in their respective countries. In Afghanistan, the resurgence of the Taliban has hampered progress on human rights. Women and girls are denied access to higher education, are barred from most jobs outside the home, cannot travel long distances without a male companion, and must cover their faces in public. In Iran, the protests were sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman arrested by the morality police in Tehran on 13 September 2022 for allegedly violating Iran’s strict rules requiring women to cover their hair with a headscarf. Since then, protests have continued across the country, with many Iranians – women and men – demanding better rights for women and a change in the current political leadership. “Woman, life, freedom” is the slogan of the protests. The authorities called them “riots” and responded with force, leading to more than 500 people dying. Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces on 24 February 2022, the UN reports that gender gaps in food insecurity, malnutrition, poverty, and increased gender-based violence have worsened in Ukraine and worldwide due to war-induced price increases and shortages.

In sum, International Women’s Day offers an opportunity to spread awareness of problems like unequal pay, gender-based violence, restricted access to healthcare and education, and the underrepresentation of women in positions of authority and leadership. It is also a day to honor the accomplishments of women who have broken through stereotypes and positively impacted their communities and/or the global community!

The “Did You Know?” section is brought to you by the CILP Program Assistants team covering various topics on social justice issues. This week’s author is Daphné Collombel.