What is International Woman’s Day and why do we have it?
International Women’s Day (IWD) takes place on the 8th of March every year. Not only is it a day of celebration for women’s rights but also a reminder to carry on pressing for change in unjust situations. Of course, it is important to celebrate women’s achievements and protest against inequality every day of the year, however, International Women's Day is a day that allows people to come together and bring attention to social, economic, political and cultural issues that women still face.
It is easy to assume that International Women's Day is a relatively new celebratory day, however, the whole concept came far earlier on than you might think. What is argued to be the first National Women’s Day was held in the United States on February 28th 1909. It was a commemoration, held by the Socialist Party of America, for the 1908 New York garment workers’ strike in which women protested against their working conditions. This was a huge turning point as a major American Political Party was recognising the power of women and sharing that with the nation. The next year, The International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen, where a woman named Clara Zetkin proposed the idea of an International Women’s day, where every country should celebrate the achievements of women but also protest for their rights. On March 19th 1911, this led to, International Women’s Day being officially marked all over Europe, with over 1 million people, both men and women, attending rallies protesting for women’s rights to vote, to be in public office and to work. During WWI, International Women’s day became a huge part of a protest movement against the war with rallies being held during the month of March. What is important to remember is that: it was not one event or group of people that brought International Women's Day into existence, but instead a collection of those people over time who had ever fought for women’s rights. This demonstrates how every single action can collectively end up making a big impact. Whilst the concept was put across by one woman it would not have been possible without the support and belief of the masses.
This year’s International Women's Day campaign theme is #BalanceforBetter, the belief that a balanced world is the best one to live in. This campaign sends precisely the right message as it is, without a doubt, pushing for direct equality between genders. Not pushing for a matriarchy or a patriarchy but for an egalitarian world. This campaign is inviting all genders to help promote a balanced society, not just on International Women's Day but throughout the whole year. As the feminist American writer Audre Lorde once said: “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own”; Until true equality is achieved no person can be truly free, therefore we must strive to help in every way we can even if the inequality does not relate directly to ourselves.
The beauty of International Women's Day is that it is not targeted at a particular group of people but can be celebrated by everyone no matter your race, gender or belief. In the words of Gloria Steinem: "The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights."
