International Women's Day

International Women's Day

అంతర్జాతీయ మహిళా దినోత్సవం

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International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 every year. It is a focal point in the movement for women's rights.

After the Socialist Party of America organised a Women's Day on February 28, 1909 in New York, the 1910 International Socialist Woman's Conference suggested a Women's Day be held annually. After women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917, March 8 became a national holiday there. The day was then predominantly celebrated by the socialist movement and communist countries until it was adopted in 1975 by the United Nations.

International Women's Day is all about unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action - whatever that looks like globally at a local level. But one thing is for sure, International Women's Day has been occurring for well over a century - and continues to grow from strength to strength.

In 1914 International Women's Day was held on March 8 in Germany, possibly because that day was a Sunday, and now it is always held on March 8 in all countries. Today, International Women's Day is a public holiday in some countries, in some places, it is a day of protest; in others, it is a day that celebrates womanhood.

History

International Women's Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. International Women's Day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe.

Since those early years, International Women's Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women's movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nations women's conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women's rights and participation in the political and economic arenas.

The UN and Gender Equality

The Charter of the United Nations, signed in 1945, was the first international agreement to affirm the principle of equality between women and men. 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.

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Year UN Theme

1996: Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future

1997: Women and the Peace Table

1998: Women and Human Rights

1999: World Free of Violence Against Women

2000: Women Uniting for Peace

2001: Women and Peace: Women Managing Conflicts

2002: Afghan Women Today: Realities and Opportunities

2003: Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals

2004: Women and HIV/AIDS

2005: Gender Equality Beyond 2005; Building a More Secure Future