International Women's Day - 8 March
International Women’s Day (8 March) is also known as the United Nations (UN) Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace. It has its roots in the international labour, socialist, and peace movements that were active early in the 20th century. It is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognised for their achievements. It is an occasion for looking back on past struggles and accomplishments, and more importantly, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women.
History - timeline
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1869 - British MP John Stuart Mill called for women's right to vote.
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19 September 1893 - New Zealand became the first country in the world to give women the right to vote. (Other countries continued campaigning for many years).
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1910 - The second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named Clara Zetkin (Leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women's Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day - a Women's Day - to press for their demands. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries greeted Zetkin's suggestion with unanimous approval and thus International Women's Day was the result.
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19 March 1911 - The very first International Women's Day was launched by Clara Zetkin on 19 March (not 8 March). Plans for the first International Women's Day demonstration were spread by word of mouth and in the press. Success of the first International Women's Day in 1911 exceeded all expectation. Meetings were organised everywhere in small towns and village halls were so packed that male workers were asked to give up their places for women.
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1913 - International Women's Day was transferred to 8 March and this day has remained the global date for International Women's Day ever since.
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The 1945 San Francisco Charter of the United Nations was the first international agreement to proclaim gender equality as a fundamental human right.
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1975 - International Women's Year – International Women’s Day was given official recognition by the UN and was taken up by many governments. It also convened the first conference on women in Mexico City that year. International Women's Day is marked by a national holiday in China, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
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1977 - The UN General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for Women's Rights and International Peace.
UN and gender
Few causes promoted by the United Nations have generated more intense and widespread support than the campaign to promote and protect the equal rights of women. Since then, the UN has helped create a historic legacy of internationally agreed strategies, standards, programmes and goals to advance the status of women worldwide. The day aimed to help nations worldwide eliminate discrimination against women. It also focused on helping women gain full and equal participation in global development. International Men’s Day is celebrated on November 19 each year.
International Women's Day Centenary - 1911-2011
2011 sees 100 years of International Women's Day. Widespread increased activity is anticipated globally on 8 March 2011 honouring 100 years of International Women's Day. The International Women's Day Centenary should make the women of past proud, the women of current inspired, and the women of the future envisioned.
Women have made great strides in equality yet there is still a great deal to be achieved on my fronts and the 2011 IWD Centenary will provide a unique and global opportunity to reignite, inspire and channel women's equality for the future.
Links
www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/women/womday97.htm
www.internationalwomensday.com/about.asp
