The history and importance of the day that celebrates women
March 8th marks the yearly holiday that celebrates women from all around the globe. We cherish the victories of the women before us and cheer on the women of today and all the things that they contribute to society and to our lives. This holiday has been around since 1911, but not many know the origins. This article hopes to explain how this holiday came to be and what the impacts have been throughout history.
This holiday first came into the picture in 1910 when proposed by a German socialist, Clara Zetkin. She was working at the International Conference of Working Women, which was trying to advocate for women’s rights and suffrage. They thought that women should have a day that could be internationally used for protests. It would give women the ability to bond over something and make a clear difference in society. This conference included women from 17 countries and the word of this holiday started to spread.
Word spread to countries such as Austria, Denmark and Germany and by March 19, 1911 the first holiday was celebrated. Millions of women used this day to attend rallies and demonstrations hoping to get more acknowledgement, voting rights and working rights. This was a day that women used to unite and stand up against unjust rules and situations that they have been put in.
These feelings of being united were extremely important in the coming years. Through the world wars and various conflicts women were able to prove themselves as they took over management roles and participated in the workforce. As women kept gaining opportunities they continued to keep pushing for equality. International women’s day was a great way for women to come together and appreciate the progress they have made and continue marching forward in their progress.
It took until 1975 for the United Nations to acknowledge this day as a national holiday. The United Nations decided that it would be officially celebrated on the 8th of March. Since it was officially established, International Women’s Day has attracted global attention. The number of women participating in rallies and demonstrations continues to grow over the years as women’s rights continue to be a prevalent issue. There was often a key issue or theme that was chosen for each year based on something that was particularly important for the year. Some of these focuses have included education, political representation and employment issues. Though the specific focus and message has slightly changed over the years the feeling and the meaning of the day has remained strong and important.
International Women’s Day is more than just a current celebration, it is a symbol of all the work and progress we have made and continue to make. As this year’s international women’s day comes and passes it is very important for us to celebrate the achievements of past, present and future women.