The Background and History of International Women’s Day
What Is The History of Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are known for their achievements regardless of diversity, be it racial, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.
Since those early years, International Women’s Day has taken on a new global dimension of women in developed and developing countries alike. A growing international women’s organization, strengthened by four United Nations international women’s conferences, has helped make the memorial a platform for building support for women’s rights and participation in political and economic forums.
We invite you to learn about the history of women’s rights and the UN’s contribution to this
The first important years of travel
Recognized by the United Nations in 1977, International Women’s Day began to appear in labor unions in the late twentieth century in North America and throughout Europe:
1909 movement in the United States
The first national women’s day was held in the United States on 28 February. The Socialist Party of America designated the day in honor of the 1908 clothing workers’ strike in New York, during which women protested against working conditions.
But the first landmark in the US was much longer before – in 1848. Angered that women were barred from speaking at the anti-slavery conference, Americans Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott gathered a few hundred people at their first national women’s rights conference in New York. Together they demand the social, social, political and religious rights of women in the Declaration of Opinions and Decisions. Birth is born.
European opportunity in 1910
Socialist International, gathered in Copenhagen, Denmark, has established International Women’s Day in ethics, respecting women’s rights, and building support for women’s rights.
The First Celebration in 1911
Women’s Day is celebrated in many European countries and the United States. But the celebration took place on March 19, commemorating the revolution of 1848 and the “Commune de Paris”.
In 1913 Russian women took power
International Women’s Day was also a protest in World War I. As part of a peace movement, Russian women celebrated their International Women’s Day last Sunday in February. Elsewhere in Europe, on March 8 the following year, women held rallies protesting the war or expressing solidarity with other activists.
1915 Tired of war
As World War I raged, a large women’s gathering was held in The Hague (Netherlands) on April 15. Participants included more than 1,300 women from more than 12 countries.
1917 Right to vote in Russia
In the aftermath of the war, Russian women again voted in protest and protested against “Bread and Peace” last Sunday in February (which fell on March 8 on the Gregorian calendar). Four days later, Czar kidnapped and the interim government gave women the right to vote.
Now the Festival is spreading
After World War II, March 8 began to be celebrated in many lands. In 1975, during the International Women’s Year, the United Nations began celebrating March 8 as International Women’s Day. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution that the United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace be observed on any given day of the year by Members of the States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions. Since then, the United Nations and its organizations have worked tirelessly to protect global gender equality with positive outcomes: 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a historic sign signed by 189 governments, focusing on twelve sensitive areas; and the inclusion of Goal 5 “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Why March 8?
19 March, the last Sunday of February, 15 April, and 23 February are some of the most important days of International Women’s Day. However, where did March 8 come from? Ask Julius Cesar and Gregory XIII! Prior to the Reformation, Russia had not yet adopted the Gregorian calendar, adopted by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 to reduce the errors of the Julian calendar, named after the Roman emperor, who had chosen it 46 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. The Gregorian calendar is in use today in most countries. In 1917, February 23 in Russia thus coincided with March 8 in other European countries. It’s that easy!
Did you know?
The fact that Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 is closely related to the movement of women during the Russian Revolution (1917).
New Zealand has been the first independent nation to allow women to vote.
In the first known campaign of its kind, the Egyptian Society of Physicians challenged tradition by declaring the negative effects of female genital mutilation. This was in 1920.