On Wednesday we celebrated International Women's Day (IWD), a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's right movement, it brings attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, violence and abuse against women. Spurred on by the universal female suffrage movement, IWD originated from labour movements in North America and Europe during the early 20th century.
The earliest version was a "Women's Day" organised by the Socialist Party of America in New York City on February 28, 1909. This inspired German delegates at the 1910 International Socialist Women's Conference to propose "a special Women's Day" be organised annually, but there was no set date; the following year saw the first demonstrations and commemorations of International Women's Day across Europe.
After women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917, IWD was made a national holiday on March 8; it was subsequently celebrated on that date by the social movement and communist countries. The holiday was associated with far-left movements and governments until its adoption by the global feminist movement in the late 1960s. IWD became a mainstream global holiday following its adoption by the United Nations in 1977.
International Women's Day is commemorated in a variety of ways worldwide; it is a public holiday in several countries, and observed socially or locally in others to celebrate and promote the achievements of women.
It’s a day to celebrate all the amazing women in your life!