Who introduced International Women’s Day & when?

Women from all over the world will celebrate their day (International Women’s Day) on March 8, 2021 (Monday). You all should be aware of the history of this day.

As the day is near, people have already begun expressing their thoughts about women’s rights, gender equality, feminism, and other related topics. However, people seem to be fighting more than understanding the perspectives of one another. So, awareness regarding the significance of Women’s Day should be given.

A glimpse on the background

Clara Zetkin

International Women’s Day (IWD) was the result of a labor movement.

According to the international news agency, the day originated when 15,000 women marched through New York City as they demanded shorter working hours, better salaries, and the right to vote.

A year later, the Socialist Party of America declared the first National Women’s Day.

The day was made international because of a woman named Clara Zetkin. According to the international news agency, she proposed the concept at an international Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen. Over 100 women from 17 countries were present at the event and they all agreed.

IWD was first celebrated in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. However, it was made official when the United Nations officially began celebrating the day in 1975.

The UN presented the first theme of IWD in 1996 and the theme was, “Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future”.

IWD gained pace and was formalized during the war-time strike in 1917 when Russian women demanded “bread and peace”. After the women’s strike, the provincial government offered women the right to vote.