International Women's Day

Happy International Women's Day
From 101lifeStyle.com

About International Women's Day:
International Women's Day is a universal day for all women around the world. Tormented and subjugated through all times and ages, women have learnt to fight their way out with many achievements to boast of. This global celebration marks the political, social, economic and cultural achievements of women over the years. Millions of women are still battling against poverty, discrimination and unequal access to education, training, credit and technical assistance. If given the opportunity women everywhere will work like champions to develop better lives for their families and communities. IWD is observed through various local events which focus on women-related themes and try to organise various programs to improve the comditions of women all over the world.

. In 1910 a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named Clara Zetkin (Leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women's Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day - a Women's Day - to press for their demands. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working women's clubs, and including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament, greeted Zetkin's suggestion with unanimous approval and thus International Women's Day was the result. The very first International Women's Day was launched the following year by Clara Zetkin on 19 March (not 8 March). The date was chosen because on 19 March in the year of the 1848 revolution, the Prussian king recognized for the first time the strength of the armed people and gave way before the threat of a proletarian uprising. Among the many promise he made, which he later failed to keep, was the introduction of votes for women. In 1913 International Women's Day was transferred to 8 March and this day has remained the global date for International Wommen's Day ever since. During International Women's Year in 1975, IWD was given official recognition by the United Nations and was taken up by many governments.

International Women’s Day is now recognized as a national holiday in China, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
In Armenia, IWD celebrations had stopped after the collapse of the Soviet Union. However April 7 was introduced as state holiday of ‘Beauty and Motherhood’. This new holiday immediately got popular among Armenians, as it commemorates one of the main holidays of the Armenian Church, the Annunciation. However, people still kept celebrating IWD on March 8 as well. Public discussion held on the topic of two ‘Women’s Days’ in Armenia resulted in the recognition of the so called ‘Women’s Month’ which is the period between March 8 and April 7.
In Italy, Russia and Russia yellow mimosas and chocolates are popular gifts given to women on IWD.
In Portugal, women-only dinner parties are conducted.

This is a day to reflect upon the progress made by ordinary women and extraordinary achievements made by women in all fields, and also the progresses and improvements yet to be made to the conditions of women across the globe.

History / Origin Of International Women's Day (IWD)