International Women’s Day 2024 is on Wednesday, March 8, 2024. This Day is celebrated across the world on the 8th of March every year. On International Women’s Day, the achievements of women for the progress and development of society are appreciated and their courage is admired globally. On this special day, women’s organizations raise a loud voice for the execution of women’s rights and their security.
Color of International Women’s Day 2024
Purple is the symbolic color of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2023, while the combination of Green, Purple and White colors is meant to represent women’s equality.
On this day women wear ribbons of purple color around their wrist, they also use batches and stripes of combined green, purple and white colors. These colors remain a part of their dress on Women’s Day.
International Women’s Day Theme 2023 (IWD)
The theme of International Women’s Day 2024 is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”
The aim of this theme is to recognize the role of women and girls who are taking responsibility for adapting, mitigating and responding to transformative technology and digital education, to create a more sustainable future for all.
hashtag #DigitALL
For gender balancing, every year an awful theme is presented by the United Nations for this day. The prevalence of the theme will remain to continue all the year long and afterwards for the pursuance of the purpose of Womens’ Day.
Logo
International Women’s Day Logo is a purple-colored looping circle with an arrow-head, having a white venus star, which is a symbol of being female, inside it. The words of International Women’s Day are written in purple color under this circle. The International Women’s Day site encourages people and groups to use this logo for the awareness of the day. The terms and conditions for the usage of this logo can be obtained from the site of International Women’s Day.
History
- In 1908, about 15000 garment worker women protested and marched through New York city against bad working conditions and demanding better pay and shorter work hours.
- On 28, February 1909 at the suggestion of Theresa Malkiel, American Socialist Party designated this day in honor of last year’s protest of women workers of New York.
- In August 1910 Luise Zietz a leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany suggested a “Women’s Day” annually in an International Socialist Conference held in Copenhagen the capital city of Denmark. The idea was appreciated by Clara Zektin a socialist and communist leader and supported by another socialist leader Kate Duncker. More than 100 women from 17 countries who were attending the conference agreed with the idea as a road map of equal rights and Suffrage (the right to vote) for women.
- On 19 March 1911, IWD(International Women,s Day) was marked for the first time when over a million people of Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland protested on different roads and spots and demanded equal rights for women including Suffrage (the right to vote).
- In 1913 Russian women celebrated their first Women’s Day on the last Saturday in February.
- In 1914 International Women,s Day was held on March 8 on Sunday in Germany and women strongly demanded the right to vote, which was later accepted in 1918. Since then International Women,s Day is held on March 8 across the world.
- On 8 March 1914, there was a grand rally from Bow to Trafalgar Square in London in the support of women’s suffrage. Sylvia Pankhurst was arrested in this rally.
- In March 1917 Russian women were granted the right to vote after a long protest for multi demands.
- In 1975, during The International Women’s Year, The United Nations recognized the day and started creating a theme every year for the day celebration.
Facts of International Women’s Day
- International women’s day is being held for more than 100 years.
- It was first observed on 19 March 1911.
- Due to this Movement, Russian women achieved the right to vote in March 1917.
- International Women’s Day is also celebrated as Mother’s Day in some countries.
- This Day is a source of presenting women’s achievements before the world.
- It keeps the women dynamic for their rights.
- United Nations finances the day and provides a theme for implementation every year since 1975.
- More than 15 countries have a public holiday on this day.
- International women’s day is being held for more than 100 years.
International Women’s Day is being celebrated for more than 100 years from the date of the protest of women in New York in 1908.
- It was first observed on 19 March 1911.
On 19 March 1911, IWD (International Women’s Day) was marked for the first time when over a million people of Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland protested and demanded equal rights for women including Suffrage(the right to vote).
- Due to this Movement, Russian women achieved the right to vote in March 1917.
On March 8, 1917, in the capital of the Russian Empire, Petrograd, women textile workers began a demonstration, covering the whole city. Women in Saint Petersburg went on strike that day for “Bread and Peace” – demanding the end of World War I, an end to Russian food shortages, and the end of czarism.
Leon Trotsky wrote, “23 February (8th March) was International Woman’s Day and meetings and actions were foreseen. But we did not imagine that this ‘Womens’ Day’ would inaugurate the revolution. Revolutionary actions were foreseen but without a date. The Emperor of Russia, Nicholas abdicated and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote.
- International women’s day as “Mother’s Day” in some countries
In more than 40 countries of the world, women’s day is celebrated as Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day is a celebration to honor the mother of the family by accepting her sacrifices for her babies and children.
- Its a source of presenting women’s achievements before the world
At this event, the achievements and services of women are depicted and presented before the nations. The world shows the marvellous works of women for mankind.
- It keeps the women dynamic for their rights
Events of the day like speeches, rallies, and parties keep the women aware of their rights and a dynamic struggle carries on.
- United Nations Acceptance of the day
In 1975, during International Women’s Year, The United Nations recognized the day and created a theme each year for the day celebration. Which is a vigorous process for the achievement of rights
- More than 15 countries have a public holiday on this day
A number of countries including America, Afghanistan, China, Cambodia, Cuba, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Russia, and many others have a public holiday for women only.
Activities of International Women’s Day
- To join a rally organized by any women’s rights organization
Rallies are being organized on this day, so you can join any one of them to record your presence for the very day.
- To attend a speech competition in a public hall or college or university
Go and attend the functions of speeches and debates held nearby by the concerned organizations. These functions may be available at the nearing halls, women’s colleges or universities.
- To organize a convention in any nearby hotel or hall
You may organize your own function for the purpose and may invite a single are more women who are bureaucrats, businesswomen, educationists, social workers or any other fields of life.
- To arrange a symposium
Arrange symposiums and have logical debates about the importance of the day.
Speech of International Women’s Day
When one talks about women the very idea that comes to mind is the biological and social differences among genders. The biological difference may be defined as the way people look apparently, physically or anatomically but such a difference is not just among human beings, the animals too have the distinctions based upon their physical appearance and their attributes are, therefore, defined accordingly i.e masculine or feminine. Now the question arises here is what has made us specific when we define men or women? The answer definitely rests with our perception of how we take it. On the onset of this perception let’s look back upon the later term “social difference”
Men or women in society are differentiated by the tasks assigned or delegated to them. But the question is who assigns these tasks? Is there any difference naturally existing where we are confined to think about specified upholds of genders? Do we have logical standings that men and women have to do what they are subjected to do?
The answer to all these questions can be described in just a single statement that we must determine first about what is the difference between the heart and brain and which of them has the task to probe and which has to supply the blood. “If gold rusts what should Iron do”(if the heart starts thinking who will pump the blood) all the statements, perceptions or ideas can now be referred to this one.
Let’s suppose feelings, sentiments and emotions; all are associated with Mind as well as heart then do these differ in their structure inside a man’s body or a woman’s body. The response would simply be “NO” and that’s where the debate begins. These dimensions show equality without discrimination. Equality for which women have suffered and struggled and even strived. The etymology of genders has never been able to justify such type of exploitation which now in its most diverse form has led us to about the fourth wave of feminism.
It has never been easy too where even the existence of women has been denounced by the society; a society or a ritual that revolved around male dominance. Taking a plunge back to history, we may seek that the war started from a domestic structure. The economy of a household is ontic of males while delicate works are subjected to a female. The question is not the type of work itself rather the question is equality. If the economy of a house is about to collapse will it not be a solution for all of its representatives to work together and while doing so no one will ever look at gender assignment or distinctions. What would the norms of society do then? They will surely come to revolutionize it by allowing the women to work so that there may be no burden on the economy and all people may work in collaboration with each other. That is the only thing where equality for every individual would work for the welfare of the generations after generations.
Keeping this comparison of genders aside, the next thing that comes to mind is after getting the demanded results, Will it be the privilege of a woman to take the appreciation or will she further strive to mark her representation? The theme to commemorate the international day of women is not to target men or to mention the heartfelt history of women. It is to clarify upon the world that men and women are not opposites but equal and when we call equals, it means equal in every domain The race is on for the gender-equal boardroom, a gender-equal government, gender-equal media coverage, gender-equal workplaces, gender-equal sports coverage, more gender equality in health and wealth … so let’s make it happen #GenderEquality.
