For over a hundred years, March 8th has been celebrated as Women’s Day. It all began informally in the early 1900s, a time marked by a population boom and the rise of radical ideas. In 1908, the Women’s Social and Political Union in the UK started using four colors to represent feminism. Purple and green stood for traditional feminism, while purple and yellow symbolized progressive feminism.
The journey continued in 1909 when the United States celebrated its first National Woman’s Day. This was a small but significant step forward. Then, during the International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen in 1910, Clara Zetkin proposed the idea of a global Women’s Day. This concept laid the groundwork for the formal celebration of International Women’s Day, first commemorated on March 19, 1911, in Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, and Austria. Eventually, the celebration date was changed to March 8, which has been recognized globally ever since.
The initial celebrations in the UK and the US aimed primarily at securing women’s rights, especially voting rights, holding public offices, equal employment opportunities, vocational training, and more. Protests, rallies, and marches were organized across the country to demand better opportunities for women and to challenge the prevalent gender discrimination of the time.
As years passed and some fundamental demands were met, attention shifted to other critical issues, such as improving working conditions, participating in politics, accessing public education, living without discrimination, earning equal wages, and owning businesses. With changing times, more challenges were tackled, and over the past century, women’s associations, NGOs, socialist parties, unions, and other organizations worldwide have made significant strides in improving conditions for women.
Even though the status and situation of women worldwide have changed significantly, the goals of International Women’s Day are still far from being fully realized. Many countries continue to struggle to provide equal rights for women. Pay gaps persist, even in developed nations, and cases of sexual abuse are increasing. Women’s participation in politics, public life, and business has grown markedly, yet true equality is still out of reach. Therefore, International Women’s Day remains vital, serving as a powerful reminder to everyone to continue striving for equal rights and a society free from domination.