International Women's Day (IWD) is an annual global holiday observed on March 8, which serves as a focal point for the women's rights movement. The day aims to raise awareness of important issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence against women. The holiday has its origins in the workers movements of North America and Europe during the early 20th century, inspired by the universal female suffrage movement.
The first recorded Women's Day observance was held on February 28, 1909, in New York City, organized by the Socialist Party of America. However, the first International Women's Day was celebrated on March 19, 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland, with over a million people taking part. The holiday did not have a set date initially, but it was generally celebrated in late February or early March.
After women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917, IWD was made a national holiday on March 8 and subsequently celebrated on that date by socialist and communist countries. The holiday was associated with far-left movements and governments until its adoption by the global feminist movement in the late 1960s. IWD became a mainstream global holiday following its adoption by the United Nations in 1977.
International Women's Day is commemorated in various ways worldwide, with some countries having it as a public holiday and others observing it socially or locally to celebrate and promote women's achievements. The UN observes the holiday in connection with a particular issue, campaign, or theme in women's rights. In some parts of the world, IWD still reflects its political origins, marked by protests and calls for radical change, while in other areas, particularly in the West, it is largely sociocultural, centered on a celebration of womanhood.
