05 Mar 2019

International Women’s Day (IWD) Celebration on March 8

Posted in All That Matters By attemptnwin On March 5, 2019

International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 every year with the objective of raising awareness regarding the equality between genders and highlighting the importance of providing an opportunity for women in society. In many countries and societies, women were being sidelined or ignored when the matter of entrusting bigger roles arose. In many communities, girl children were unwelcome and did not get equal privileges compared to boys. The attitude of world towards women and girl children will undergo changes only if continuous awareness creation is made. International Women’s Day is celebrated in this back ground.

Importance of International Women’s Day (IWD)

A gender balanced world can lead to a better balanced world. For this, purpose awareness is to be created and achievements of women need to be celebrated. For improving the role of women in society, awareness should be created against bias and concrete steps should be taken for ensuring equality. International Women’s Day (IWD) is a call for change in mindsets and attitudes towards women and celebration of acts of contributions, achievements and courage of ordinary women who have played key roles in societies, communities and countries. On this day, social, cultural, economic and political achievements of women are celebrated world over. The day reminds the entire world that women are capable of leadership roles in bringing change in the world and are equally competent like their men counterparts in all fields. Thus IWD acts as a women empowerment day.

International Women’s Day (IWD)- Brief history

IWD is presently celebrated across the globe. It is not linked to a specific country or group or organization. International Women’s Day celebration has a history of more than 100 years. It has become a day for reminding unity, reflection, celebration, advocacy and action for gender parity at all levels. In 1908, the US witnessed the march of 15,000 women through New York city, raising slogans for shorter work hours, better pay and voting rights. In the next year on February 28, the first National Women’s Day was celebrated and continued to be celebrated till 1913.

Clara Zetkin, suggested the idea of International Women’s Day in 1910 during the second international Conference of Working Women held in Copenhagen. The idea was unanimously accepted in the meeting attended by over 100 women from 17 countries. In the following year (1911), the day was observed in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. Russian women observed the first International Women’s Day on the last Sunday of February 1913, on the World War I campaigning eve for peace. In the same year, the International Women’s Day was transferred to March 8 after discussions and thereafter the day continued to be celebrated on March 8.

United Nations celebrated International Women’s Day for the first time in 1975. In December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s rights and International peace to be observed by member states. They were given freedom to celebrate the day on any day of the year based on their historical and national traditions.

Agenda for Sustainable Development by United Nations

Agenda for Sustainable Development formulated by the UN has set some important targets for empowering the women. Providing all girls and boys quality, free and equitable primary and secondary education is one among the targets. The agenda covers various aspects like childhood development, ending discrimination of all sorts against women, eliminating violence against women and putting an end to bad practices like child marriage are major goals defined by the agenda.

International Women’s Day (IWD)- Trends

International Women’s Day (IWD) has worked as a catalyst in bringing in significant changes and attitudinal shifts in roles of women and their contributions. Women have established their presence in corporate world, board rooms and legislative assemblies. They have earned their position in the various strata of society through hard work and determination. Their presence and contribution is visible in all fields including science, literature, defense forces and space. Many countries are led by women leaders. Men have accepted contributions by their female colleagues, mothers, wives, daughters. Women have really gained true equality.