One of the most important components of society are women. The strength and power they hold is beyond all limits. International women day is celebrated to honor the women all around the world and praise them for making this world a better place. It is obligatory for all of us to celebrate the economic, political, social, and cultural achievements of women.

When is international women day 2022?

The international women day is celebrated each year on 8^th March. In 2022, this day is going to be celebrated on the same date, i.e. 8^th March and the day is going to be Tuesday. The international women day is celebrated to recognize the achievements of the women along with enhancing gender parity. It also aids in increasing awareness regarding women’s equality.

Theme of international women day 2022

There have been a lot of cases when women are considered less than equal to men. Whether it is in the job sector or a household, the decisions have always remained biased. Therefore, in 2022, the theme of international women day is #BreakTheBias.

When the decisions and verdicts are biased and they always remain in the favor of the gender other than women, it creates chaos in the country. Also, it deprives the women to move ahead and shine on their own. Women have the power to do anything. They also have the capability of changing the entire world into a better one but only if we let them be. Therefore, in 2022, we are all collectively going to work towards biasness and get it out of the system. Only knowing that bias exists and doing nothing about it will take us nowhere. Thus, we need to start working on getting rid of bias. You know how the saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.” It’s time that we let our actions level out the field.

History of international women day

The international women day has been recognized by the entire world since the early 1900s. This was the time when expansion, population growth, industrialization, and radical ideologies were on their peak.

1908

Women suffered a lot of oppression but they had had enough. They wanted to change the lives they were living, so about 15,000 women marched through the New York City in 1908. Their main demands were voting rights, shorter labor hours, and better pay.

1909

In 1909, the socialist party of America declared National Women’s Day (NWD) which would be observed on 28^th February each year. The celebrations would occur nationwide on the last Sunday of February but things changed in 1913.

1910

A second international conference of working women took place in Copenhagen in 1910. The leader of the women’s office for the social democratic party in Germany, Clara Zetkin, proposed that there should be a day – a women’s day – where all women could press their demands. This day must remain the same each year. This conference was attended by 100 women from 17 different countries who represented different working classes of their respective countries. All the women unanimously agreed with Zetkin and that’s how the international women day came into being.

1911

The first international women day was celebrated on 19^th March in Denmark, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Millions of women and men took part in the rallies of the international women day and demanded for women rights. However, on 25^th March, the New York City witnessed the heart-wrenching “Triangle Fire” which caused the causalities of 140 working women. Because of this event, the government of the United States started paying attention to the labor legislation and working conditions in the country and this also became a very important part of the agenda of the international women day.

1913-1914

World War I had disastrous effects on the entire world, especially women. On 23^rd February, many Russian women campaigned for peace and this day was marked as their first international women day. Then, after a lot of discussions, it was finally decided that the international women day will be held on March 8^th because the Gregorian calendar translated this date from 23^rd February. Now, the entire world celebrates the international women day on this date and it will continue to do so. In 1914, many European women also came on the streets to show solidarity with the Russian and other war-stricken women. For example, to show solidarity and support, people in London marched from Bow to Trafalgar Square.

1975

It was in 1975 that the United Nations celebrated the international women’s day. However, in 1977, the General Assembly came up with a resolution that stated that the United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace should be celebrated on any day of the year. But, it should be according to the national as well as historical traditions.

1996

In this year, the United Nations came up with the theme for international women day for the first time. The first theme for this day was “Celebrating the past, planning for the future”. Then, in 1997, we had “Women at the peace table”. In 1998, the UN announced their theme for international women day and it was “Women and Human Rights”. In 1999, we come face-to-face with “World free of violence against women”, etc. Since then, there has always been a theme.

2000

In 2000, the world welcomed the new millennium and many people stopped talking about creating equal rights for women. Even, feminism didn’t stay the talk of the town. There was a need of something that could re-ignite the spark of demanding equal rights for women. Moreover, the gender parity was also not achieved by then.

2001

To re-energize the people, a platform known as internationalwomensday.com was established. This website has always visualized and celebrated the achievements of the women from all around the world. The website also comes up with campaign themes that are not only relevant to the women gender but also the entire globe as a whole. This campaign theme provides a direction for all the activities of international women day along with providing a framework that enhances gender parity. Over the years, the website came up with several campaign themes such as:

• #ChooseToChallenge
• #TheGenderAgenda
• #BeBoldforChange
• #EachforEqual
• #BalanceforBetter
• #MakeItHappen
• #PledgeforParity, and others.

A large number of stakeholders collaborate and decide on one campaign theme each year that not only imparts the true message of the international women’s day but also widely adopted.

2011

In 2011, the entire world celebrated the 100 year centenary of international women’s day. To honor this day, President Barack Obama declared that March is going to be “Women’s History Month.“ He addressed all the Americans and proclaimed them to recognize and appreciate the achievements gathered by the women of today’s society. The state secretary of that time, Hillary Clinton, launched “100 Women Initiative: Empowering Women and Girls through International Exchanges.”  

2022 and beyond

The world has seen the tyranny on women from early ages. They have been oppressed and maltreated. However, with the initiation of the international women’s day, things started to change around the world. The voices of the women were finally being heard but after some time things died down again because of the deeply ingrained complexity of patriarchy. In most countries, women are still being underpaid, equal number of men and women in the political sector isn’t present, and the situation of health, violence, and education on women has gone worse. However, if we look at the bright side, women have become prime ministers, civil service officers, and even, astronauts. Women can now have a family as well as a job. Girls are allowed to study. So, each year, the world celebrates the achievements of the women and what they have accomplished this far.

Why international women’s day is important?

The international women’s day is important because it tells us how important it is to honor the achievements of the women of our society and how crucial it is to achieve gender parity. After the Equal Pay Acts of 1963 and 1970, there could be seen gender equality in most parts of the United States and the United Kingdom. So, should we keep celebrating the international women’s day when the gap between the two genders keep on reducing? Yes. celebrating international women day is more important now than ever.

Often, it is the woman who has to give up her career or put it on hold to make a family. In many traditions, people believe that women can raise a family better than men and that’s how they put their career on hold. In some instances, a lot of women don’t tell their employers about having a child or children simply because they fear that their employees might think that having children may affect their work at the office along with their competency.

And now, when there is a global pandemic going on, the most affected gender is that of female. According to the institute for fiscal studies, about 60% of the women not only took care of their households but also did the homework of their children. This is kind of an invisible job but without any promotion or salary. Now, what do you think about a job without a promotion or a salary?

International women’s day is also important because it lets people know the significance of equal pay and equality in opportunity.

A lot of women get exploited by the hands of the large business owners when it comes to salaries and promotions. If there’d be a job vacancy in an office, and two candidates are left – one male and the other female – there are about 90% chances that the male candidate would get it. Also, when it comes to negotiating salaries, they aren’t as good at asking for what they’d want their salary package as that of male. However, with a little help, women can negotiate salaries in the same way that men do and all of this can be attributed to international women’s day.

Also, there must be an increase in the female representation of the companies. Ask yourself, how many times have you met with a female CEO of the company? If you’re happy with your answer, you need to celebrate this day and recognize women’s achievements. If not, take an active part in the rallies of the international women’s day and address the issue at hand.

Other than gender inequality, disparity, and equal opportunities, there are a variety of reasons why international women’s day is highly significant.

We’ll explore the importance of the international women’s day more while understanding the basic human rights of women.

What are the human rights of women?

The rights of women have been portrayed by the United Nations when it enshrined the basic human rights, approximately 70 years ago. The human rights of women include:

• Right to live
• Free from violence
• Free from discrimination
• Free from slavery
• To be educated
• To vote
• To own property
• To earn a fair mage

You may have heard that saying that human rights are considered to be women’s rights. This makes every female entitled to these rights. Yet, there is a majority of girls and women, all around the world, who don’t receive that basic human rights for women. They are denied their rights simply because they are women. International women’s day is all about winning rights for women. It is not just about giving equal opportunities to women. It’s so much more than that. It’s mainly about changing the workings of an entire community or country. Providing basic human rights for women means that the countries will have to come up with certain laws and policies that ensure that women will never be denied their rights.

International women’s day aims to provide the basic human rights for women. It does so by investing in the movements and organizations of the women and giving voice to women to speak out what’s in their minds and hearts.

In today’s world, there are still some women who are deprived of their basic rights. That is why it is important to celebrate international women’s day that not only talks about the achievements of the women but also giving them their rights and the treatment that they deserve.

We’ve discussed the international women’s day quite thoroughly but still, there are some questions that people ask us frequently. Let’s see what they’re so curious about.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is international women’s day a national holiday?

In some countries, international women’s day is not considered to be a national holiday. However, there are some countries where it is a national holiday. These countries are:

• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Belarus
• Burkina Faso
• Cambodia
• China (for women only)
• Cuba
• Georgia
• Guinea-Bissau
• Eritrea
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Laos
• Madagascar (for women only)
• Moldova
• Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Nepal (for women only)
• Russia
• Tajikistan
• Turkmenistan
• Uganda
• Ukraine
• Uzbekistan
• Vietnam
• Zambia

What color symbolizes international women’s day?

There are three colors that signify international women’s day – Purple, green, and white. Purple is the color that promotes dignity and justice. Green is color of hope. The purity is represented by the color white. These colors were devised by the women of Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in 1908.

Who can be a part of international women’s day?

International women’s day is not specific in terms of a country, organization, community, or a group. No one is solely responsible for making this day happen. It’s a collective effort of all the people around the world. One can say that the story of a woman struggling for equality would bear no ending if there is not collective effort of all the people who genuinely care about women’s rights. So, it doesn’t matter who you are. You can still be a part of international women’s day and make a positive difference.

How can you celebrate international women’s day?

Different countries celebrate international women’s day in different ways. In some countries, it is a tradition that the men who honor their mothers, girlfriends, wives, etc., will give them small gifts along with flowers. However, in some countries, the international women’s day is equal to the Mother’s day. So, many people cherish their mothers and grandmothers with immense love and gifts.

Other ways to celebrate international women’s day are reporting an achievement of a female that you know or don’t know, donating to a charity that is primarily focused on fulfilling the needs of women, running a women rights-oriented campaign, or launching a new initiative.

The Bottom Line

It’s hard being a girl. True. Women face tremendous hardships but still, they end their days with the brightest smiles on their faces. Thus, it’s important to have a day where you can honor this gender and recognize everything they do for the society they live in. Moreover, make it your mission to have gender parity in your country because, only then, a country can pave the way to success. You are capable of making a difference. So, be a part of international women’s day and celebrate womanhood with the rest of us.

Want to read about other important days in the month of March? Then click here.
Or if you want to read about important days of other months of the year, then check out “Important Days of the Year” category.