On March 8th every year, many countries around the world commemorate the International Women’s Day. Since its first observance in the early 190os, the international holiday has assumed a global dimension for women in both developed and developing countries.
The importance of this day has been highly emphasized through various women’s movements and conferences. It is through such efforts that the commemoration has been turned into a rallying platform to promote women’s rights such as fair participation in political, social, economic, technology, and other sectors.
The 2018 International Women’s Day is an apt time to draw attention to courageous women who have or are making a difference, reflect on progress made to improve the welfare of women, and press for action on problems that women across the world still face.
History
The first observance of the women’s day is believed to have been held on February 28, 1909, in New York. At that time, the holiday was dubbed “National Woman’s Day” and had been organized at the suggestion of Theresa Malkiel, an American activist, and educator. The following year during an International Women’s Conference, Luise Zietz, a German socialist, proposed the establishment of an annual holiday that could promote equal rights for women. The proposal was supported by powerful women although no date was set at that point.
Three years after the observance of the first women’s day, the International Women’s Day was observed on March 19 in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. In some parts of the world, millions of people marked the day through protests and marches with the aim of demanding equal rights and opportunities for women. The protests, strikes, and marches continued on different dates until 1913 when they took place on March 8 and since then, the International Women’s Day has been observed on March 8th of every year. Initially, the day was only observed by communist countries and socialist movement until 1975 when the United Nations officially recognized the holiday and proceeded to invite member states to officially adopt March 8 as the UN Day for women’s rights and world peace.
International Women’s Day 2018
The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is #PressforProgress. This theme calls on all concerned parties including women’s organizations to press forward and actively tackle gender inequality. This theme brings together various parties and encourages them to act towards creating a society that is gender inclusive.
The official UN theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives”. The This theme is not only important because it focuses on transforming the lives of women but because it draws attention to the rights of rural women. Women in rural areas make meaningful contributions especially in the agricultural sector thus ensuring food security yet they fare worse than their urban counterparts. The deep-seated and persistent gender inequalities in various sectors, including technology, often leave out this group in development matters.
Women in both rural and urban settings deserve to enjoy their rights and realize their full potential. This year’s holiday comes at a time when there have been calls for equality and justice. The sexual harassment and misconduct cases that have captured headlines both locally and internationally and the rising determination to fight violence and discrimination against women should be features in this transformation.
As we celebrate exemplary women in technology and other sectors, we need to remember that International Women’s Day is a day to also reflect on ways to transform the lives of women everywhere. The holiday is a time to celebrate, reflect, and take action.
Leave a Reply