Every year on March 8, people around the world come together to recognize International Women’s Day (IWD)—a global celebration of women. What began as a labour rights movement in the early 20th century has evolved into a day of reflection, activism, and progress, highlighting both how far women have come and how much further we have to go. Beyond simply acknowledging the day, it’s important to understand its history, significance, and how you can meaningfully participate.
In 1908, 15,000 women marched in New York City demanding better hours, higher pay, and voting rights. The first official National Women’s Day was observed across the U.S. the following year on Feb. 28 and continued to be celebrated on the last Sunday of February until 1913.
In 1910, at the International Conference of Working Women, Clara Zetkin, leader of the ‘Women’s Office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, suggested the idea of an International Women’s Day to be celebrated annually for women to advocate for themselves. The conference unanimously agreed with Zetkin’s suggestion.
In 1911, IWD was celebrated in four countries on March 19, with over 1 million people attending rallies campaigning for women’s rights. On March 8, 1913, Russian women celebrated their first IWD on the last Sunday in February. In 1914, IWD was marked annually on March 8 which has remained the global date for IWD ever since and in 1975 The United Nations marked IWD for the first time.
IWD is celebrated differently everywhere, but each celebration is equally as meaningful. In China, many women are given half-days off of work. In Italy, mimosa blossoms are gifted to women by the men in their lives. Romania observes IWD as a similar holiday to Mother’s Day, where people, particularly men, recognize their mothers and grandmothers. Marches and other events featuring women are a popular way of celebrating the day in Australia. In the U.S., IWD is not an official holiday, but the month of March is commonly known as Women’s History Month—a time to recognize women’s achievements throughout history.
There are so many different ways to celebrate this important day, but how can you celebrate and support women all the time? Start by educating yourself on gender inequality issues and women’s history—learn about the women whose achievements have been overlooked like Rosalind Franklin and Clara Zetkin. Support female-owned businesses and female-led organizations, attend IWD events in your area, and most importantly, advocate for women’s rights not only on IWD, but every chance you get.
International Women’s Day is a symbol of the powerful women throughout history who fought for their rights, and a reminder of the ongoing fight for gender equality. It’s important to participate in this day and in the advocacy for women’s rights.