International Women’s Day is celebrated all across the globe, on 8th of March, every year. This day is specifically dedicated to all the women of the world for their valuable contribution to their families, their friends, their co-workers and the entire society. The observance of the International Women’s Day started in the early 1900s.
Since then, the focus of International Women’s Day has shifted gears from showcasing dissatisfaction towards the biases and inequalities to celebrating the reforms and revolutions seen by the society. However, there is still a lot that needs to be thought about and worked on, as even in today’s age, women face many challenges. They are not yet allowed equal opportunities of education, of making a career of choice and for a healthy & secure life.
IWD Celebrations – The Historical Timeline
The history of celebration of this special day is very long and eventful.
- 1908: first notable march by 15,000 women to raise their voice against oppression & inequality was held in New York City
- 1909: first National Woman’s Day (NWD) was celebrated in US; till 1913 NWD in US used to be observed on last Sunday of February
- 1910: Clara Zetkin, a political leader from Germany coined and convinced all at the International Conference of Working Women over the idea of International Women’s Day
- 1911: first International Women’s Day was celebrated on 19 March in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland
- 1913: Russia observed International Women’s Day for the first time; later that year International Women’s Day was transferred to the global date, 8 March
Present Day Celebrations
Many non-profit organizations, government departments, institutions, etc. working for women take this day to voice their opinions for highlighting the changes done and the changes yet needed in the society, for the justification of the right of women all across the globe. A lot of contests, activities and events are also organized through social media. Events like flea markets by women, theatric performances, street shows, fashion parades and more are also organized in various residential communities and corporate offices.
Each year United Nations organization points out a central theme for the celebrations of International Women’s Day across the world.The 2017 theme for International Women’s Day, 8 March, as given by the United Nations focuses on “Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030” to ensure that the world of work works for all women.
Tips to celebrate IWD with Children
- Explain to your children about rights of Women and Gender equality.
- Encourage them to make the day special for the Women of the family or at school by doing small things like making ‘Thank You’ cards for all the things that Women do.
