International Women's Day 2025: History, Significance, and Celebration

International Women's Day, celebrated every year on March 8, is a worldwide celebration of women's accomplishments and a reminder of the continued fight for gender equality and empowerment. The day originated in the early 20th-century labour demonstrations in the United States and Europe, where women were fighting for improved working conditions, equal pay, and the right to vote.

The First National Women's Day

The inaugural National Women's Day took place in the United States on February 28, 1909. The Socialist Party of America declared the day to commemorate the 1908 New York garment workers' strike, when women demonstrated against the deplorable working conditions. On the International Women's Day website, approximately 15,000 women marched for shorter workdays, higher wages, and the right to vote.

The Birth of International Women's Day

In 1910, the Second International Conference for Working Women was convened in Copenhagen. Clara Zetkin, a German socialist, suggested the concept of an International Women's Day, an international celebration reserved for women's demands for equality. The notion was adopted, and in 1911, more than a million people protested in IWD rallies throughout Europe, calling for rights to work, vote, be trained, occupy public positions, and terminate discrimination.

Why International Women's Day on March 8?

The date March 8 derives from Russian tradition. Russian women demonstrated against World War I under the Julian calendar (equivalent to March 8 in other calendars using the Gregorian system) on February 23, 1913. This is now an international standard for Women's Day marches.

Women's History Month and Contemporary Recognition

The Barack Obama administration, in 2011, proclaimed March to be Women's History Month to celebrate 100 years of International Women's Day. Nowadays, International Women's Day still signifies the continuous struggle for gender equality, empowerment, and social justice all over the globe.

The Ongoing Struggle for Equality

Although there has been vast progress, much more needs to be done for women to reach real parity. International Women's Day reminds us of the need to continue working towards gender empowerment and equality. As President Barack Obama stated, "International Women's Day is an opportunity to pay tribute to ordinary women all over the world and is based on women's long struggle through centuries to share in society on equal terms with men."

The word Feminism is wrongly understood by society, but it's just the process of believing that women need equal opportunities as men in society. Women's day is about not celebrating women's greatness, but celebrating the equality of women in the society in achieving anything. 

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