Celebrate International Women's Day on March 8, 2007!

March 8 is International Women's Day - Let's Learn More About It!

On March 8, International Women's Day is celebrated all over the world in countries like the United States, Australia, Armenia, Russia, Bulgaria and Vietnam. International Women's Day has been celebrated, in many forms, since the 1900's. International Women's Day began as a political event meant to shed light on women's working conditions and low wages but eventually turned into a day meant to celebrate women and everything they have done to make our world better. Today, International Women's Day is celebrated through events like business conferences, fashion parades, government activities, political rallies, networking events, women's craft markets and theatrical performances.

The History of International Women's Day

The first National Women's Day observed in the United States of America was on February 28, 1909. In 1910, a Women's Day was established by the Socialist International, in Copenhagen, to honor the women's right movement. International Women's Day was celebrated for the first time on March 19, 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland in the form of rallies that demanded women's rights to vote, hold public office, to work, to vocational training and to end workplace discrimination.

In 1913 thru 1914, International Women's Day became a way to protest World War I. Russian women observed their first International Women's Day as a part of a peace movement. On the last Sunday in February of 1917, Russian women did a protest and strike for "Bread and Peace" in response to the death of over 2 million Russian soldiers. Amazingly, just four days later, Czar Nicholas abdicated and the provisional Government granted Russian women the right to vote!

In 1975, the United Nations began sponsoring International Women's Day. In 1977, the United Nations "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" (UN IWD Website, 2007).