Happy Women’s day girls, I sure do hope you are enjoying the holiday! You are probably at home watching movies, out with friends or still in bed and I thought we should all know what the backdrop for 8th March as International Women’s day is. Basically what is the history, why do we celebrate women, why 8th March and not 3rd August (my birthday J)?
HISTORY
In the years before 1910, women in industrially developing countries were entering paid work in large numbers. There was a challenge of sex segregation especially in the types of jobs they were given; textiles, manufacturing and domestic services where conditions were pitiful and wages extremely low. At this time trade unions were developing and there were industrial disputes and in Europe revolutions were getting started.
The many changes in the women’s lives pressed against political limitations and they began to fight for the right to vote. all over Europe, Britain, America, and Australia women from all classes were involved in pushing for the right to vote. In 1903 in United States women trade unionists set up Women’s Trade Union League to help organize women in paid work around their political and economic welfare.
In 1908 on the last Sunday in February, socialist women in the USA started the first Women’s Day when they organized large demonstrations calling for political and economic rights of women. In this year, women garment workers in New York held a strike in a bid for better working conditions.
In 1909 on 28th February the socialists party in the USA honored the women garment workers that had gone on strike. This gathering was attended by more than 2000 men and women.
In 1910 The Socialist International meeting in Copenhagen set aside a day International in character to honor the movement for women’s rights and to build support for this plight of women.
In 1911 as a result of the Copenhagen meeting Women’s day was set for 19th March for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. More than 1 million men and women attended these rallies.
In 1913-1914, International Women's Day also became a tool to protest the war World War I. As part of the peace movement, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February. Elsewhere in Europe, around 8 March of the next year, women held gatherings either to protest the war or to express oneness with other activists.
In 1917 with the back drop of the war Women in Russia again chose to protest and strike for 'Bread and Peace' on the last Sunday in February (which fell on 8 March on the Gregorian calendar). Four days after, the Czar abdicated and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote.
Since 1913 the International Women’s day has been celebrated on 8th March and has been described by the UN as the day women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions whether, national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural or economic. It’s an occasion to look back on past struggles and accomplishments and more importantly to look ahead at untapped opportunities that await future generations of women.
My Message for Women’s Day 2013
As women we should take this opportunity to reflect on the rights these women several years ago fought for and campaigned for. They fought for the right to vote, the right to equal treatment, for education, better working conditions, and for equal opportunities.
I admit in many parts of the world there is still a long way to go before women can fully enjoy their rights. But for most of us we have been given the opportunity to go to school, to work at the same level as men, to vote, to take seats in Parliament, to lead companies, to ACHIEVE and mostly to make a POSITIVE IMPACT on the world!
Grab a notebook and a pen and write down how you are going to make a change, set yourself goals and have a vision of what the world will be after achieving these goals.
C’mon girls let’s not pity ourselves and beat about the bush but let’s make the women of the 1900s proud! LET US GO OUT AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!!!
That’s all for now. Happy Women’s Day!!
Clarissa
x.o
Please comment and share with us your Women’s day message or how you plan to make a difference. I for example plan, to start a program to educate parents and teachers on Addictive Drugs, their effects, symptoms and all that stuff. There is nothing like that here in Uganda (that I know of) and I think it’s important.
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