This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Portland chapter.
Saturday, March 8th is one holiday you may not already know about, but it’s one you won’t want to forget. Ladies, its International Women’s Day. All over the world, people are celebrating a holiday that was born out of need to expose women’s oppression and inequality. Now it’s a yearly opportunity to celebrate how far countries around the world have come in creating equal opportunities for women.
Here’s a quick glance through history of movers and shakers who challenged the norm, resulting in HUGE accomplishments:
• 1835: Harriot Hunt was the first woman to practice medicine
• 1871: Frances Willard was the first American woman to be a college president
• 1900: Margaret Abbott was the first American woman to win first place in an Olympic event. The event? Golf.
• 1920: Women get the right to vote in the U.S. thanks to the 19th Amendment
• 1979: Susan B. Anthony was the first woman in America to be depicted on a coin
• 1987: Aretha Franklin was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• 2008: Sarah Palin was the first female vice presidential nominee of the Republican Party
Celebrated since 1900, International Women’s Day is now an official holiday in over 27 countries. In many countries, men honor their mothers, wives, girlfriends and colleagues with flowers and gifts. Thousands of events are held all throughout the world that celebrate women and their achievements. Depending on the location, you may see political rallies, business conferences, networking events, even fashion shows! Portland even has an official celebration on the books! To learn more, click here.
To learn more about International Women’s Day, visit their website: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/
If you haven’t seen Google’s quirky doodle video about International Women’s Day 2014, view it here.