International Women’s Day: the history of the fight for women’s rights
9 march 2025 в 03:37
Women of the world unite! International Women’s Day has arrived, and it is a chance for women, non-binary individuals, and male allies to come together in the fight for their rights. This official holiday has been celebrated for over 40 years, but did you know that women began organizing and protesting in the early 1900s? Learn more here:
According to the UN declaration, International Women’s Day «is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic, or political. International Women’s Day first emerged from the activities of labor movements in the early 20th century in North America and across Europe».
This is quite remarkable considering there are only 195 countries in the world. Although International Women’s Day is largely symbolic, it is an official holiday in the following countries: 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.
Although the UN did not officially recognize it until 1975 (calling it the Year of Women), International Women’s Day has its roots in 1909. It was initiated by the Socialist Party of America in the United States in response to a strike by garment workers in New York in 1908, when women protested against their poor working conditions. The Socialist International Party met in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1910 to establish Women’s Day in honor of women’s rights and suffrage.
More than 100 women from 17 countries unanimously approved it. It was first celebrated by over a million women and men on March 19, 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. Participants attended meetings and demanded women’s right to work, as well as an end to workplace discrimination.
International Women’s Day has always been about protest, even if some countries do not do so today. It became a channel for protest against World War I in 1913. Successful protests in Russia led to women gaining the right to vote in the country by 1917. If you want to protest for women’s rights, head to the official International Women’s Day website, where resources for an effective campaign are provided!
Every year, International Women’s Day has its own theme. According to the IWD campaign, the theme for 2021 is challenging norms: «A challenged world is an alert world, and from challenge comes change. So let’s all choose to challenge. How will you help forge a gender equal world? Celebrate women’s achievements. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality»
According to the UN declaration, International Women’s Day «is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic, or political. International Women’s Day first emerged from the activities of labor movements in the early 20th century in North America and across Europe».
This is quite remarkable considering there are only 195 countries in the world. Although International Women’s Day is largely symbolic, it is an official holiday in the following countries: 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.
Although the UN did not officially recognize it until 1975 (calling it the Year of Women), International Women’s Day has its roots in 1909. It was initiated by the Socialist Party of America in the United States in response to a strike by garment workers in New York in 1908, when women protested against their poor working conditions. The Socialist International Party met in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1910 to establish Women’s Day in honor of women’s rights and suffrage.
More than 100 women from 17 countries unanimously approved it. It was first celebrated by over a million women and men on March 19, 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. Participants attended meetings and demanded women’s right to work, as well as an end to workplace discrimination.
International Women’s Day has always been about protest, even if some countries do not do so today. It became a channel for protest against World War I in 1913. Successful protests in Russia led to women gaining the right to vote in the country by 1917. If you want to protest for women’s rights, head to the official International Women’s Day website, where resources for an effective campaign are provided!
Every year, International Women’s Day has its own theme. According to the IWD campaign, the theme for 2021 is challenging norms: «A challenged world is an alert world, and from challenge comes change. So let’s all choose to challenge. How will you help forge a gender equal world? Celebrate women’s achievements. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality»
© Smirnova Olga
