International Women’s Day History
International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8th to recognize the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
The day is also an opportunity to advocate for gender equality and women’s rights.
The origins of International Women’s Day can be traced back to the early 20th century when women around the world were fighting for better working conditions, suffrage, and other social and political rights.
The first National Women’s Day was observed in the United States on February 28th, 1909, following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America.
The idea of an International Women’s Day was first proposed at the International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1910.
The conference was attended by over 100 women from 17 countries, including the first three women elected to the Finnish Parliament.
They agreed to create a day to celebrate the contributions of women and to promote women’s suffrage, which was a major issue at the time.
The first International Women’s Day was celebrated on March 19th, 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland.
More than one million people attended rallies, demanding the right to vote, work, and hold public office.
In the following years, International Women’s Day gained momentum and was observed in more countries.
During World War I, women in Russia observed the day on the last Sunday in February, and it became a national holiday in 1918.
The Soviet Union was the first country to make International Women’s Day an official holiday in 1921.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the women’s liberation movement brought new attention to International Women’s Day.
The United Nations began celebrating the day in 1975 as part of the International Women’s Year.
In 1977, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring March 8th as International Women’s Day.
Today, International Women’s Day is celebrated in countries around the world with events, rallies, marches, and other activities.
The day is an opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made in advancing women’s rights and to renew the commitment to achieving gender equality.
