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Women’s Day Celebrating the indomitable spirit of women
- Every year, International Women’s Day is celebrate on March 8 for power of women, their rights and their achievements. IWD began in the 1900s, and according to its website, “a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality”.
- History and significance
- International Women’s Day has been celebrated for over a century now. But while many people think of it as a feminist cause, its roots lie in the labour movement. It was first organised in 1911 by the early 20th century Marxist from Germany Clara Zetkin.
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Zetkin was born in 1857 in Germany’s Wiederau. She trained as a teacher, and was associated with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) — one of the two major political parties in the country today. She was a part of both the labour movement and the women’s movement.In the 1880s, when anti-socialist laws were enforced by German leader Otto von Bismarck, Zetkin went into a self-imposed exile in Switzerland and France. During this time, she wrote and distributed proscribed literature, and met leading socialists of the time. Zetkin also played a significant role in the formation of the Socialist International.
- The conference comprised 100 women from 17 countries, with unions, socialist parties, working women’s clubs and female legislators unanimously approving the suggestion. Women’s Day was observed for the first time in 1911.
