On all days, but especially on March 8th, I’m proud to be a woman. On this date, men and women all over the world celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD). Back in my home country Bulgaria, guys would have ordered beautiful flowers days ago and would go pick them up early in the morning to surprise the important women in their lives. Girlfriends and wives, mothers and daughters receive compliments and small signs of affection throughout the day. Thus, March 8th becomes a celebration of women’s spirit and contributions to society. Even though I never participated in any special festivities downtown or at my school, I knew that at least for one day I would have all of the love and attention on me. All women should be able to feel that way on March 8th!
History of IWD
Since the beginning of the 20th century, there have been many attempts to establish the IWD in Europe. The date fluctuated between the end of February and the end of March, but March 8th was proposed for the first time in Russia in 1917. On this date according to the Gregorian calendar, women started a strike for “bread and peace” after the death of over 2 million Russian soldiers in World War I. Under the protestors’ pressure, the Tsar was forced to abdicate and the provisional government granted women the right to vote. Later, the USSR adopted IWD to mobilize women for the building of socialism. The holiday was widely celebrated in all countries of the Soviet bloc, including in Bulgaria.
However, the idea of the IWD has spread around the globe. Its strength has grown so much that the day has become a global day of recognition in many countries. For many years, the United Nations has supported this cause by holding annual IWD conferences to coordinate international efforts for women’s rights and equal participation. 1975 was chosen as ‘International Women’s Year’ by the UN. Many women’s organizations and governments held large-scale events on March 8th to honor women’s advancements.
IWD today
Today IWD is an official holiday in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia. In Bulgaria, March 8th is also the equivalent of Mother’s Day, when children give small gifts to their mothers and grandmothers.
Every year, thousands of events are organized to celebrate women’s achievements and promote further progress in many crucial areas. Connecting local activists over the world, these activities include political rallies, business conferences, theatric performances, fashion parades, etc.
Many multinational corporations have also shown their support for IWD by running their internal events. For instance, the search engine and media giant Google modifies its logo on March 8th. With each subsequent year, the international status of IWD is growing. The United States even announced the whole March as ‘Women’s History Month.’
Regardless of the specific month, you should feel special about being a woman on every day of the year. Let March 8th be only one of many occasions when the youngest girls are inspired to grow up as strong individuals and the accomplishments of the adult women are honored and appreciated. And most importantly, be a woman, be yourself!
Source: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/
First picture: Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images
Second picture: The Sophia Echo