International Women’s Day, a brief history and a bright future.
“I am not free while any other woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” – Audre Lorde
For almost a century, March 8th has been a revolutionary stand point for women across the globe. Recognizing the social, political, economic and cultural issues that face women each and every day, International Women’s Day acknowledges the importance of women’s rights, women in history and the ever increasingly bright future ahead. More than just simply a celebration however, the day calls for people around the world to stand in unison for gender equality and unite to eliminate the divides between men, women and the world. The theme for 2019 is ‘More Powerful Together’, signifying the need for collaboration to reach a future where women and girls finally hold equal rights and opportunities. So why exactly is this day so important and what can we expect in the oncoming future?
A BRIEF HISTORY
The year is 1908. Driven down by the demands of factory work where exploitation and barbaric working conditions are everyday occurrences, 15,000 female garment workers protested on the streets of New York. As 1909 began, The Socialist Party of America declared that the 28th of February would become the very first National Women’s Day in their honor and less than a year later the idea would move into international spheres. Clara Zetkin, leader of the Women’s Office in the Social Democratic Party of Germany brought the idea of an international celebration for women’s rights and recognition at the second International Conference for Working Women in Copenhagen. Met with unanimous support from 17 representative countries, March 19th of the following year became the very first International Women’s Day in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. Europe became alight with demonstrations and protests, but the most important part became the discussions and the conversations that the day enabled.
The labor movement became a mechanism for protest during conflicts such as World War I, where Russian women observed the 8th of March as part of the peace movement to express solidarity with other activists and to protest against the atrocities of war. By 1975, during International Women’s Year, the United Nations eventually recognized the 8th of March as the celebratory day for International Women’s Day and the rest became history, albeit some of the most influential and powerful moments in history.
WHY IT MATTERS
Looking back on that very first day in 1911, the realisation of how far the world has come is extraordinary. On that very first day, only eight countries allowed women to vote and subjects such as equal pay and reproductive rights were non-existent. Where once women were fighting for a voice, now they are running countries and corporations. Yet, as the annual celebration reaches newfound heights and the world begins to evolve in its attitude towards women’s rights and equality, not every battle has been won. 1 in 3 women globally will experienced sexual or physical violence and 112 countries have no repercussions for husbands who rape their wives. Women are still not paid equally to men and globally, education and health continue to remain at continually worsened rates for women than their male counterparts. Reproductive rights are continually utilised in political games and the continual imprisonment of female activists in Asia still stretch the divide in equality.
That is why March the 8th matters. Each year women are inspired and supported, and internationally the day sparks celebration, appreciation and recollection of the exceptional paths taken to reach where the world sits today. From rallies to global conferences, International Women’s Day joins the growing women’s movements that continue to fight back against the disparities and the discrimination.
The adoption of feminist values is synonymously held against stereotypical portrayals of man-hating and bra burning, yet the true essence behind the importance of women’s movements and global collaboration on gender issues lies in days such as this.
