Women all over the world will be celebrating International Women’s Day on March 9. This is a holiday where women from all throughout history are celebrated and recognized for all their hard work and their social, cultural and economic achievements.
This holiday is not restricted to just one country or group of women. Instead, it is a holiday that is celebrated in many different countries all around the world.
The holiday is not just for reflecting on past achievements and progress made for women; it is also a day for advocating and rallying together to keep progressing toward a world where women have equal rights and opportunities.
“It’s important that we all support and advocate for gender equality and women’s empowerment because they make up 50% of the world population,” said Lauren Ernst-Fortin, a junior psychology major.
Before there was an International Women’s Day, there was a National Women’s Day. According to Yes! magazine, the women’s labor union was created on March 8, 1857, as a result of the women in New York City protesting against wrongful working conditions and low pay. By 1908, the women of New York were still marching for better working conditions and fighting for their cause.
It was not until May of 1908 that the Socialist Party officially declared the last Sunday of February as National Women’s Day, which was celebrated in the United States the following year. It was at the International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen, Denmark, that the term International Women’s Day was first coined.
It was proposed by Clara Zetkin, a German socialist, who recommended an international holiday to commemorate all the female workers who had fought for this movement. Of the 100 women representing 17 countries attending the conference, the vote was unanimously approved.
This is an important holiday to acknowledge and celebrate because it is a chance for women all over the world to unite in their pursuit for gender equality and create lasting change in the world.
“For so long, the world has been dominated by men, but things have changed and become more progressive,” said Ainslin Steiner, a freshman English major. “It used to be that men hated women, and women hated women, but now, we have a day to recognize all that women have to offer.”
International Women’s Day is also a holiday in which we shed light on all the women throughout history who have helped make advancements toward gender equality.
Mia Davis is a junior public health major. She said that a female figure who has inspired her was Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
“She has made so many changes to the world of gender equality and is a role model for women everywhere,” Davis said.
During the 1970s, Ginsburg oversaw the Women’s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union. Until her passing, she fought passionately against gender discrimination.
One of the events hosted by the Women’s Center at GC to honor International Women’s Day is their annual Women’s Leadership Conference on March 29. This conference, which takes place during Women’s History Month, aims to provide attendees with the chance to delve further into their leadership interests.
This year’s conference theme is “Flourish Forward.” The inspiration behind the theme aims to motivate women from all walks of life to flourish in their own leadership as well as to celebrate individuals who already serve as leaders in their everyday lives.
The conference allows for the attendees to create and build a diverse network of empowering women who have experience with creating positive changes in their communities.
Coinciding with Women’s History Month, the event empowers women to support fellow female leaders. Women’s history has come a long way, and the month of March is a time for everybody to recognize and celebrate female achievements.
