Sometime in 1908, over 15,000 women marched through the streets of New York City demanding voting rights, finer wages and better working conditions compared to their male counterparts. In 1909, the Socialist Party of America declared February 28 as National Woman’s Day, the first of its kind to be celebrated in the world at that time. By 1910, Clara Zetkin, the leader of the ‘women’s office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany suggested that every country begin observing an International Women’s Day annually. This was followed up with a conference of over 100 women representing 17 countries, in support of the mission and IWD was birthed. The day, collectively founded by women, was intended to bring attention to gender parity and women’s rights.
The decision to commemorate this historic movement on March 8 was taken in 1913. It took decades for the United Nations to officially recognise the IWD, 1975 to be precise. Since then, it has created a theme each year for the celebration, accompanied with series of campaigns and events to keep the vision of the movement alive.
In 2011, former US President Barack Obama proclaimed March to be ‘Women’s History Month’.
Like today, these women were in less organised workplaces [than their male counterparts], were in the lower echelons of the garment industry, and were working at low wages and experiencing sexual harassment.
Eileen Boris, Professor of Feminist Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara.
Gender equality has always been a huge concern for most of the world for as long as we can remember. Pay gaps, involvement in business and politics, violence, access to edition and health services are some of the issues encountered by 49.6% of the world’s population. International Women’s Day is a growing movement centred around unity and strength, honouring the achievements of women throughout history and all across the globe, and is typically a day for women from all different backgrounds and cultures to bond together to fight for gender parity and women’s rights.
109 years after the first International Women’s Day, there is still much to be done. According to the World Economic Forum’s most recent Global Gender Gap report, it will take another 108 years to reach gender parity. Across the 106 countries covered since the first edition of this report, the biggest gaps to close are in the economic and political empowerment dimensions, which will take 202 and 107 years to close, respectively.
International Women’s Day 2020: Theme
The theme for International Women’s Day 2020 is “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights”. The United Nations has been leveraging the Generation Equality campaign for years, as it aims at “bringing together people of every gender, age, ethnicity, race, religion and country”, in a bid to drive actions that will lead to a “gender-equal world we all deserve”. This year’s campaign #EachForEqual draws attention to the idea that gender inequality isn’t a women’s issue, but an economic one – as gender equality is essential for economies and communities to thrive. #EachForEqual has become a symbol of the movement which extends far beyond 8 March, with activities running all year long. The idea is to reinforce and galvanize collective action, holding events and talks that urge us all to share responsibility and play our part.
This year women’s day will be celebrated in the wake of the 25th anniversary of Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which is termed by the UN Women as the “most visionary agenda for women’s rights and empowerment everywhere”. The UN reports that the Beijing Declaration reveals “important progress” in areas of education and heath, while other sectors have seen “stagnation and reversals”. This development calls for a stronger movement and a more inclusive march towards equality.
The campaign highlights six key areas:
1. Championing women forging tech innovation.
2. Applauding equality for women athletes.
3. Forging inclusive workplaces so women thrive.
4. Supporting women to earn on their own terms.
5. Empowering women through health education.
6. Increasing visibility for female creatives
How is International Women’s Day celebrated around the world?
International Women’s Day is an official holiday in at least 20 countries, including: Afghanistan, Cuba, Laos, Russia, and Vietnam. In many of these countries, tradition holds that men honor their mothers, wives, girlfriends, and colleagues with flowers and small presents. In other nations, the day is much like the holiday of Mother’s Day, in which children give gifts to their mothers and grandmothers. In other countries, however, like Nepal and China, IWD is a holiday only for women.
Days like IWD are a time to celebrate the gains that have been made and to measure how far we have come. But also to see that there are many more steps to take and to rededicate to the struggle ahead.
Happy International Women’s Day 2020!