I could say many things about International Women’s Day—things that you could read in any article on any website, things you’ve heard before, and information that might fail to engage most readers beyond the first paragraph. Why is that? Discussing a topic like this in a formal tone doesn’t spark interest; repeating the same phrases year after year stifles progress. I believe that to make a true impact, we need to embrace messiness, boldness, and perhaps now more than ever, we need to assert our rights with vigour.
Fascism is rising at alarming rates around the world, and we must persistently remind everyone that true equality remains unachieved. Don’t fool yourselves: the moment we get comfortable, the world will likely think, “Great! Now you got what you wanted; now stay quiet.” And that is how it all began a century ago—with women who refused to remain silent.
The first National Woman’s Day was organized by the Socialist Party of America in 1909 in New York, where garment workers were striking for better pay and working conditions. The early 20th century was a period marked by social upheaval and labour movements. Inspired by the women in America, Clara Zetkin, a German activist for socialism and feminism, proposed at the International Socialist Women’s Conference in Copenhagen in 1910 that every year women across the world should unite to campaign for their rights.
The following year, on March 19, 1911, the first International Women’s Day was celebrated in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland, with more than a million people attending rallies advocating for women’s suffrage, the right to work, and public office. The day, March 8, itself was established in Russia in 1917 when women took to the streets to demand “Bread and Peace” during World War I.
In the following decades, International Women’s Day saw changes in popularity, especially declining after the suffrage movement’s success. However, the resurgence of feminism in the 1960s and formal recognition by the United Nations starting in 1975 helped revitalize interest in International Women’s Day, marking a critical turning point in the global fight for gender equality. And yet, even after all those years, we’re still not there.
Having been raised with Western stereotypes, we often overlook the challenges faced by women in the East, labelling everything there as “undeveloped” while focusing solely on our own issues. This selective attention stymies real societal progress. While we may profess to value freedom, we often fail to apply that freedom to everyone universally. The distinction we’re discussing is not freedom but privilege; women in 155 countries around the globe endure injustices and brutal patriarchal laws every day. For instance, how much do we truly understand about female genital mutilation in countries like Somalia and Guinea? It’s all too easy to disregard issues that don’t directly affect us.
Not that life is idyllic for women in Europe or America either; for instance, 8% of women were married before the age of 18 in Europe and Northern America. In Sweden, the corresponding figure is as low as 1.3%, while in the United States and Germany, women perform 1.6 times more unpaid care and domestic work than men. Unfortunately, the outlook doesn’t seem promising for the future, at least if we fail to act.
Now is the time to reject passivity—just as the women before us refused to be subdued. We must protest, riot, and relentlessly fight for the rights of every woman, because if we don’t, regrettably, no one else will. This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is “Accelerate Action.”
Accelerating action for gender equality means actively promoting and supporting initiatives that advance the rights and opportunities of women and girls around the world. It involves taking concrete steps to challenge stereotypes, confront discrimination, and celebrate the achievements of women. Therefore, contribute by sharing knowledge and encouragement with others, as well as committing to support impactful organizations dedicated to women’s empowerment—from grassroots groups to larger philanthropic entities—that focus on economic empowerment, leadership development, access to quality education, and healthcare.
After living 18 years as a woman, I recognize that our experiences often feel intangible to the men in our lives, despite their best intentions. Our fathers, male friends, and significant others will likely never understand the fear of walking alone, even on familiar streets. They may not grasp that nowhere feels entirely safe and that it’s not simply about throwing a punch and running away. We constantly feel the need to prove ourselves, not only to a world that often underestimates us but also to ourselves. At times, we feel that we must be perfect to be deemed “enough.” In this struggle, we often compromise our self-respect, changing our values to fit in.
So yes, to anyone doubting it, having March 8 as a day to celebrate and remember women is necessary, and I don’t believe it will ever cease to be.