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As far back as 1857, female garment workers in New York had been protesting for better wages and working conditions. Women in this industry worked incredibly long hours in dangerous, inhumane conditions. They were also paid significantly less than their male counterparts.
The idea for International Women’s Day was born during a tumultuous period in history when the world was changing and women’s demands for equality were finally being heard.
On International Women’s Day 2019, a group of men from a far-right organization dressed as women and marched through the streets of Madrid, Spain. They carried signs with the slogan “femininity yes, and masculinity too!” Their position was that a day focusing on female empowerment was a threat to men’s rights.
In another event in Dongguang, China, 400 men ran a race in heels to celebrate International Women’s Day. While the intentions of such events may be good, they rather miss the point.
When we compare the situation of women today to that of those living during the first International Women’s Day, the improvement is astounding. International Women’s Day is now celebrated in more than 100 countries around the world.
Women’s unions grew and developed over the following decades, but the struggle to improve their working conditions persisted. At the beginning of the 20th century, young female workers joined forces with middle-class women’s rights activists, who were also campaigning for labor equality and the right to vote.
They held their first protest on March 8, 1857, but were attacked by police. This event led to the creation of the first women’s labor union.
With the impending destruction of World War I looming in 1913, women in Russia observed their first International Women's Day on February 23. They used it as an opportunity to campaign for peace.
The Women’s Trade Union League and the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union joined forces again to stage widespread protests against the inhumane conditions that many women still worked under. One silent funeral march drew 100,000 people. The tragic fire was the focus of several International Women’s Days in the following years.
The following year, the first ever International Women’s Day (IWD) was celebrated on March 18. Over one million men and women came out to marches, protests, and campaigns in countries like the US, Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.
In 1910, the second ever International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen, Denmark. Seventeen different countries and many socialist and feminist groups from around the world were represented.
On International Women’s day in 1917, Russian women began a strike in protest of the two million Russian lives that had been lost in the war. They continued to strike for four days, until Czar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate. The provisional government that took over granted women the right to vote.
This momentous period in history was dampened by a tragic incident that brought the plight of women workers into vivid focus once again. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire broke out in New York on March 25, leaving 140 female employees dead.
Only one of the four elevators in the multi-story building was operational, and one of the two staircases was blocked, making it impossible for all of the workers to escape when the fire broke out.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory was truly a sweatshop. The majority of their employees were teenage immigrants who worked 12 hour days, seven days a week, in terrible conditions. The owners took no safety precautions and the factory was in a dangerous state of disrepair.
A German activist named Clara Zetkin proposed that there should be an International Women's Day that took place in every country every year. Her idea was met with unanimous approval and International Women’s Day was born.
Two months later, the Socialist Party of America declared that the last Sunday of February would become National Women’s Day. The first National Women’s Day was celebrated in the US on February 28, 1909.
In 2011, we reached the centenary of International Women’s Day. President Barack Obama declared that the entire month of March would be dedicated to "the extraordinary accomplishments of women,” and would become Women’s History Month.
In 1977, the General Assembly voted to implement a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace. This was to be celebrated by each member country of the United Nations on a day of their choice.
Taking a leap forward in history, International Women's Day was celebrated by the United Nations for the first time in 1975. They also declared that 1975 would be International Women’s Year, and held the first ever World Conference on Women.
In 1996, the UN announced their first theme for International Women’s Day. The theme was "Celebrating the past, Planning for the Future.” In 1997, they chose the theme "Women at the Peace table." The UN has selected a new theme each year since 1996. The 2021 theme is “Choose to Challenge.”
In 1914, women around the world protested against the war on International Women’s Day. World War I caused all attempts at social reform to slow to a crawl, but women continued their demonstrations on March 8 every year.
In March 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City to demand shorter working hours, better pay, and voting rights.
The chosen date for International Women's Day had never been unanimous before, so it was proposed that it should be held annually on March 8 worldwide. It has taken place on March 8 every year since 1914.
That being said, it’s difficult to ignore the continued struggles faced by women today. Women are still not paid equally, they are still under-represented in business and politics, they receive worse education and healthcare, and suffer from greater instances of violence.
In China, International Women’s Day now focuses on events aimed at women, like fashion shows and beauty events. In 2016, a group of men dressed up in heels, fake breasts, and dresses to climb a mountain. The publicity stunt was intended as a rather bizarre tribute to their wives.
The true meaning of this date has been lost to some, similar to the way many people see Pride parades each year as one big frivolous party. Those who think that that battle is over have adopted it as a day to celebrate women, similar to Mother’s Day.
In many countries, International Women’s Day is seen as an opportunity to show appreciation to the women in your life. Men buy flowers for their mothers and wives. Commercial interests have hopped on this as an opportunity to boost sales, similar to Valentine’s Day.
On the other end of the scale, there are those who outright protest International Women’s Day and believe that it is an example of “supremacist feminism.”
International Women's Day (IWD) emerged during a period in history when the women's rights movement reached a boiling point. Decades before the right to vote was won, female workers were fighting for the right to fair pay and working conditions that weren't deadly. Industrialization was changing the political and economic landscape, and new ideologies were spreading and growing stronger.
The meaning of International Women's Day has evolved from those first years when women had very few rights to speak of, but it's still just as important in 2024 as it was in 1911. Click through this gallery to get the full history of IWD.
While people with this attitude are in the minority, it’s still a sign of the times we live in. There is still much work to be done and International Women's Day remains as relevant as it was in 1911.
Sources: (History) (International Women's Day) (Smithsonian) (Yes!) (History)
See also: Shocking facts about gender inequality
The history of International Women's Day
International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8
LIFESTYLE Feminism
International Women's Day (IWD) emerged during a period in history when the women's rights movement reached a boiling point. Decades before the right to vote was won, female workers were fighting for the right to fair pay and working conditions that weren't deadly. Industrialization was changing the political and economic landscape, and new ideologies were spreading and growing stronger.
The meaning of International Women's Day has evolved from those first years when women had very few rights to speak of, but it's still just as important in 2024 as it was in 1911. Click through this gallery to get the full history of IWD.