“Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge gender equality (internationalwomensday.com).”
As a holiday observed on March 8 every year, International Women’s Day is the day to recognize women and equality across the globe. This day celebrates the achievements of women and raises awareness about inequality and discrimination towards women, whether that be in school systems, in the workplace, or just in everyday life. To fully understand the holiday, it is important to know the beginning of this celebration.
The rise of International Women’s Day began in 1776 with First Lady Abigail Smith Adams, who wrote her “Remember the Ladies” letter, which persuaded Congress to consider women’s rights when drafting the laws for the new independent country. On March 8th of 1857, women in New York City organized the first strike for equal pay, shorter work days, better wages, and most importantly, workplace equality. This is one of the most important events in the origin of International Women’s Day, hence why it is celebrated on this day. In 1907, the phrase “Votes for Women” started becoming much more popular, and the first edition of the Women’s Social and Political Union newspaper was published. Jumping ahead to 1922, Vladimir Lenin declared March 8th as International Working Women’s Day, which honored the role of women in the Russian Revolution of 1917. Also during this year, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan confirmed International Women’s Day as an official holiday. Between 1949 and 1975, multiple other countries declared International Women’s Day a holiday, and in 1975, the United Nations marked International Women’s Day and set 1975 as International Women’s Year. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter declared the week of March 8th as International Women’s Week. Throughout the next few years, International Women’s Day continued to spread and become a bigger celebration around the world. From movements to festivals, protests to celebrations, International Women’s Day has become a widespread commemoration of women who fought for freedom and equal rights. In 2019, there was the largest IWD celebration ever. With performers like Pharrell Williams, Cardi B, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Michelle Obama, Kerry Washington, and so many more, this celebration’s theme was #BalanceisBetter, which promoted a positive future for women and men, in which they both were equal on all levels. In the workplace, media perception, etc. Fast forward to 2025, International Women’s Day is celebrated globally and is a movement participated in by millions of people worldwide. Many diverse groups, people, celebrities, brands, and world leaders celebrate this holiday as a day to recognize the sacrifices made by women in the past to gain freedom and equal rights for women in the future.
Although this is an internationally celebrated holiday, different countries celebrate it differently. For example, in Italy, women are given small flowers called mimosas, which are the symbol that was chosen in Italy for International Women’s Day. During this time, it is common for women to pass on mimosas to show their appreciation and support for each other. In Romania, International Women’s Day is celebrated similarly to Mother’s Day, where husbands and sons recognize their wives and mothers for everything they do. In the U.S., the whole month of March is celebrated as Women’s History Month. On March 8th, there are festivals, marches, conferences, and events to celebrate women and the history of the holiday. Over in Spain, mass strikes were a huge contribution to the equal treatment of women. While they do not celebrate the holiday with a strike, the Spanish are trying to improve their rights for girls and women. Lastly, in the United Kingdom, they celebrate the Women of the World festival, which runs for three days. The festival includes performances, guest speakers, and activists who come to discuss the topic of women’s rights and other issues that women experience. Because of the success of this festival, the Women of the World festival is now celebrated in other places around the world.
No matter where or how you celebrate the holiday, it is important to remember the true origin and meaning of International Women’s Day. Women fought for equality and for their rights, and that is the true meaning of the celebrations behind International Women’s Day.
Sources:
http://internationalwomensday.com
https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Timeline
https://daily.jstor.org/the-socialist-origins-of-international-womens-day/
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/international-women-s-day-2019-history-theme-importance-n980626
https://www.ef.edu/blog/language/10-ways-international-womens-day-is-marked-around-the-world/
