International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on March 8 to commemorate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women.
It is also a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women.
How it began ?
Ukranian Woman , American Socialist Party , Russian revolution : Story behind International Women's Day.
Theresa Serber Malkiel (1874-1949) was a Ukrainian-born American labor activist.
She suggested the Socialist Party of America Women's Day observance, called "National Woman's Day",was held on February 28, 1909, in New York City.It is said to be earliest version of IWD
This inspired demonstrations and commemorations of International Women's Day across Europe.
After women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917 (the beginning of the February Revolution) i.e. February 28 (March 8 Gregorian calendar)
IWD was made a national holiday on March 8. It was subsequently celebrated on that date by the socialist 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.
United Nations began celebrating International Women's Day in 1975,
In 1977, the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as an official UN holiday for women's rights and world peace.
It has since been commemorated annually by the UN and much of the world, with each year's observance centered on a particular theme or issue within women's rights.
