International Women’s Day: A brief historical background

International Women’s Day is celebrated each year on March 8 to primarily highlight the condition of women around the globe. Modern times have witnessed varied technological advancements. Despite all the progress made so far, the condition of women continues to be largely deplorable. This year’s theme for the day is "Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls". The history of International Women’s Day dates back to the 19th century when on March 8, 1857, the women garment workers of New York protested against the appalling work environment and poor wages. This step led to the formation of the first labour union of these women two years later when on 8 March 1908, 15000 women marched through the city for their demands. Their popular slogan, "Bread and Roses" symbolized financial security and better lifestyle. This resulted in the designation of the National Women’s Day on Feb 28. The first such day was celebrated in 1909.

In 1910 a socialist world conference was held in Denmark. It was this Socialist International Conference that proposed the creation of an International Women’s Day. German socialist Clara Zetkin suggested the same that was approved by the conference by consensus. Over 100 women from 17 countries unanimously agreed to the proposal. Three of these women were later elected to the Finnish Parliament.

In 1911, the Day was celebrated in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on March 19. It was celebrated in February 1913 for the first time in Russia. And rallies were held throughout Europe to campaign against World War I in 1914. World War I saw the death of over 2 million Russian soldiers. In February, 1917, Russian women began a strike for "Bread and Peace". The strike continued till the Czar was forced to relinquish his throne and the provisional government granted women the right to vote.

In 1975, during International Women's Year, the United Nations began celebrating March 8 as International Women's Day. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by member states, in accordance with their historical and national traditions. For the United Nations, International Women's Day has been observed on 8 March since 1975.

Several years and several conferences later, we seem to have come a long way in the sense of some marginal improvement in the condition of women across the world. But sadly speaking, violence against women like rape and domestic abuse is fairly common in most countries. This year’s theme, "Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls," will hopefully start some serious action to attain the desired objective as far as crime against women is concerned.

Bureau Report