When was International Women's Day and how to spend it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Considering March 8 as a “day of spring and beauty” is actually very strange.

When and why did they start celebrating International Women's Day

Every year on March 8, International Women's Day is celebrated - a holiday dedicated to the struggle of women for their social, economic and political rights. From the middle of the 19th century, movements that advocated the emancipation of women grew rapidly and actively participated in public life, so by the beginning of the new century, the idea of creating such a celebration was in the air.

The first national women's day was organized by International Women’s Day History. The University of Chicago, a member of the Socialist Party of America on February 28, 1909, in memory of the New York strikes of female workers in the textile industry, dissatisfied with working conditions and lack of the right to vote in elections.

In 1910, at the Second Women's Socialist Conference in Copenhagen, Louise Zitz, Clara Zetkin and other activists proposed the International Socialist Congress, 1910; The Second International Conference of Socialist Women to make Women's Day international in order to unite efforts to combat gender inequality around the world. Delegates from 17 states supported this idea. Despite the fact that the date of the holiday was not chosen then, in March 1911, T. Kaplan took place in several European countries. On the Socialist Origins of International Women’s Day demonstrations against discrimination against women.

How International Women's Day appeared in Russia

Soon after these events, International Women's Day came to Russia. It was first celebrated on March 2, 1913. On this day, N. V. Savinov was arranged in St. Petersburg. March 8, or what it was: for the 100th anniversary of the celebration of International Women's Day, scientific readings on the "women's issue", which discussed social and political issues.

During World War I, there were no mass gatherings on International Women's Day. But in 1917, women's strikes marked the beginning of the February Revolution. On March 8 (or February 23, old style) women, tired of hunger and terrible working conditions, gathered for a demonstration with the slogan "Bread and Peace!" They were joined by workers from large factories in the city. With each passing day, the anxiety in Petrograd only intensified; R. Stites took to the streets on March 20. Women's liberation movement in Russia. Feminism, Nihilism and Bolshevism 1860-1930 about 40,000 female students and workers demanding to end the war and to grant women not only economic, but also political rights.

As a result of the February Revolution, Nicholas II abdicated the throne, and in June 1917 women gained the right to run and vote in elections to the Constituent Assembly. Leon Trotsky, recalling the events of February 1917, wrote to L. D. Trotsky. The story of the Russian revolution, that women went to the cordons of soldiers more boldly than men, and almost ordered: "Drop your rifles and join us!"

After the revolution, Vladimir Lenin declared at the First All-Russian Congress of Women Workers (Lenin) that without equality of the sexes it is impossible to achieve complete freedom of the proletariat, therefore it is necessary to eliminate all restrictions on women's rights and give them the opportunity to actively participate in the creation of a new system and government. For these purposes, in 1919, the women's departments of M. I. Straush appeared. On the history of the "women's question" in the USSR in the first post-revolutionary years, under the leadership of Inessa Armand and Alexandra Kollontai, engaged in agitation, education and protection of motherhood and women's labor.

International Women's Day was an important part of promoting a new image of Soviet women, an occasion to talk about the results of the state in achieving equality and the contribution of women to the economy.

Over time, the holiday has lost its bright political color, has ceased to be associated with feminists and the active movement for women's rights.

Now March 8 is often called "the day of spring and beauty", and women hear rather sexist congratulations in their address, which somewhat contradicts the ideas of Clara Zetkin.

It is impossible to say exactly for what reasons the holiday changed its original meaning and transformed into a gender one. According to some researchers O. A. Voronin. "Gender" holidays: the transformation of symbolic meanings, the main message of the International Women's Day in the USSR changed depending on the goals of the state. From 1917 to 1940, it was important to involve women in political and public life, during the war - to emphasize their role in successes at the front and in the rear, and in the first post-war years - to celebrate labor achievements. Researcher Natalia Kozlova writes to N. N. Kozlova. International Women's Day on March 8 as a tool for the formation of Soviet political culture, that after the 60s the women's issue for the Soviet regime was resolved, and “new social horizons for women were exhausted”. At the same time, at this time in the USSR, there was a decrease in the birth rate, so the focus in official congratulations from politicians and media reports was shifted to the importance of the traditional roles of women - wife, mother and housewife.

In 1965, N. V. Savinova became International Women's Day in the Soviet Union. March 8, or how it was: to the 100th anniversary of the celebration of International Women's Day with an official holiday and a general non-working day.

How International Women's Day is celebrated in different countries now

In 1975, the UN made International Women's Day. UNESCO Women's Day is an official international holiday. Participating countries were asked to choose any day of the year to celebrate achievements in the struggle for women's rights and international peace, in accordance with their history and traditions.

Each year the holiday is dedicated to a specific theme, for example “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All” or “Women United for Peace”. In 2021, she sounds the International Women’s Day 2021 theme - “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world” as “Women-leaders: achieving equality in the COVID-19 world”.

Unfortunately, a century after the first International Women's Day, the problem of gender inequality is still relevant. According to a 2020 UN study HUMAN DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES TACKLING SOCIAL NORMS: a game changer for gender inequalities, more than 40% of respondents from 75 countries believe that men are more successful in running businesses and have a priority right to jobs. And WHO has calculated Global and regional estimates of violence against women that 35% of women have experienced physical or sexual violence. Therefore, even now all over the world, March 8 is becoming a pretext for actions of women's solidarity and protest. For example, in 2017, the United States hosted the 'Day Without a Woman' Protest Tests a Movement's Staying Power, a strike against Trump's policies, and in 2018, women in Saudi Arabia staged a Saudi women celebrate Women's Day with a jog in Jeddah a race to draw attention to the violation of their rights.

International Women's Day is an official public holiday and weekend in only a few countries. In Eastern Europe, it is considered the equivalent of Mother's Day, and in Italy, as in Russia, it is customary to give women branches of mimosa.

How to spend March 8

If traditional gatherings with wishes in the spirit of "stay the same beautiful and gentle" are already tired of the order, use one of these ideas and celebrate International Women's Day with benefit.

Meet your girlfriends

It's always great to spend time with your friends, so organizing a fun bachelorette party on March 8 would be a great idea. Go karaoke together, have a movie themed party, attend a workshop, or just chat over a glass of wine.

Learn more about feminism

An excellent excuse to arrange a fem-educational program! If you want to better understand the theory of feminism, you don't have to storm complex programming texts. Start with comics, zines, blogger posts, and documentaries. Take a guided tour or lecture on this topic - there will definitely be something interesting on March 8th.

Watch a movie

Have a movie night and watch inspiring films about the lives of great women. Biopics about Frida Kahlo, Maria Sklodowska-Curie, Margaret Thatcher will not only delight you with excellent acting, but will also help you learn more about the contribution of women to history, science and culture.

Support charities

If on this day you really want to take part in the struggle for women's rights, but you are not yet ready to go to the rally, support charitable organizations. For example, resource centers for girls in difficult situations, or human rights associations dealing with problems of domestic violence.

Take care of yourself

Women (and others) need emotional and physical resources to build careers, maintain relationships, and simply deal with daily stress, so remember to take care of yourself. It doesn't matter which way you choose: considered exclusively feminine pleasures like spa and shopping, hard strength training or extreme driving lessons. Do what you really enjoy on March 8!