International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8th March annually. This is a day to honour the achievements of women and to encourage them to break stereotypes and move further. It is also a day that calls out for gender equality and for all of us to work towards the same.
The theme for the Women’s day for 2019 according to UN Women website is ‘Think equal, build smart, innovate for change.’ However, the official website of the day gives out the theme as #BalanceforBetter.
History of Women’s Day
The roots of this day date back to the early 1900s when the first National Women’s Day was observed in the United States of America on 28th February 1909. The next year, the Socialist International Meeting in Copenhagen calls for a day to commemorate the movement for women’s rights and to garner support for women’s suffrage. Consequently, in 1911, the International Women’s Day was observed on 19th March in some countries of Europe. On this day, millions of women and men demanded women’s suffrage and their right to work.
It was only much later in 1975 that the United Nations began observing 8th March as International Women’s Day. This year was also celebrated as International Women’s Year.
Despite all the progress that we have made, there is no denying that discrimination against women still exists. This Women’s Day, let’s pledge to make the world a better and safer place for all women. Happy Women’s Day, everyone!
Also, read some inspiring and power quotes by women for women here.
