Women’s Day has become a part of the culture of many countries, and is celebrated around March 8 around the world. Historically, the holiday began as a political event that expressed the struggle for women’s rights.
But today, in many countries, people celebrate March 8 as a day of respect, recognition and love for women.
What does March 8 mean?
World Women’s Day reminds us of women’s achievements in the social, political and economic spheres, celebrating their past, present and future.
In some countries, such as Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, March 8 is a national holiday.
Various activities connect women around the world, ranging from political rallies, government activities, business conferences, networking events, theater shows, fashion shows, local craft markets for women, and more.
For example, in the United States, the whole month of March is designated as “Women’s History Month,” while in Cameroon the festivities last a week.
Since 1996, the United Nations has been offering an official theme for International Women’s Day, for example: “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality”, which aimed to promote the various goals set for sustainable development.
Historical significance
International Women’s Day has traditionally been associated with the events of 1857, when New Yorkers – textile workers and sewing factories – marched through the streets of the city with “empty pots”. The women protested against low wages and harsh working conditions.
Skeptics claim that this is a uniform version of the events that have been circulated by historians, but in fact, it was not the textile workers and tailors who paraded through the streets, but the prostitutes in New York. They demanded payment of the sailors’ salaries, which they owed an orderly sum for their services.
But the true significance of March 8 is difficult to determine, because for some reason no newspaper at the time reported it.
For example, the French magazine La Revue d’en Face claims that there was no march. In 1982, this edition published a detailed 13-page article in no. 12 under the eloquent title “The Myth of the Origin of International Women’s Day”.
Its authors learned that the story ” The March of the Empty Pans ” was simply composed by the French Communist newspaper L’Humanité in 1955.
Nevertheless, the first Women’s Day took place, being celebrated in New York on February 28, 1909. It was an event commemorating the 1908 strike of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, one of the largest unions in the United States at the time, organized by the Socialist Party of America.
The following year, on the occasion of the “International Women’s Conference”, organized to precede the Second Socialist International, it was proposed to establish an annual “International Women’s Day” and 100 women from 17 countries agreed with the idea of promoting the strategy. equal rights, including voting for women (although no date was specified at that conference).
On March 19, 1911 , Women’s Day was celebrated by over one million people in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and Denmark, participating in rallies in support of women’s rights to work, to vote, to be trained, to hold public office. and to end discrimination; while in America people continued to celebrate Women’s Day on the last Sunday in February.
In 1912 , the date of the celebration of Women’s Day was chosen on May 12, and in 1913, each country celebrated in its own way: women from France and the Russian Empire organized a rally on March 2, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Switzerland, the Netherlands – on March 9, and Germany – March 12.
This holiday has also been celebrated in China since 1922 , and the Spanish Communists have been celebrating it since 1936.
In 1975 , which was declared “World Women’s Year”, the UN officially approved International Women’s Day and began subsidizing it.
In the West, Women ‘s Day was celebrated as a public event only in 1977, when the United Nations General Assembly declared March 8 “Women’s Day and World Peace Day.”
Today, many attribute feminist significance to March 8, although in fact, in the 19th century, feminism was considered a bourgeois phenomenon.
Moreover, at that time the Socialists had decided to institute a day of women’s struggle for their electoral rights only in opposition to feminists.
March 8 – the meaning of the day in the world
In Bulgaria
, Bulgarians celebrate Women’s Day in 1914. It is worth noting that March 8 was set at the suggestion of the head of the Bulgarian delegation, Anna Maymunkova, during the second international conference of communist women, held in Moscow in 1921 ( earlier, the holiday fell on different days of February and March).
However, in Bulgaria, March 8 did not become a public holiday. There is no day off for wonderful ladies, nor are special events announced. Moreover, the day is also associated with Mother’s Day. Women congratulate each other, and men give flowers and gifts to the beautiful half of humanity.
In Turkey
On the eve of International Women’s Day, protests are taking place in several Turkish cities. For example, in Antalya, despite a ban by local authorities, activists managed to take serious action within a year.
About 300 women chanted slogans and even managed to block the roadway of one of the city’s streets. However, they did not manage to enter the park, as expected, as the path was blocked by special forces, which were also made up of representatives of the beautiful half of humanity.
The protesters did not get lost and invited the female police officers to join their picket, but they were refused. Fortunately, it all ended peacefully.
In another year, the events in Istanbul developed much less calmly. There, city officials also banned mass events for security reasons, but there were activists who still decided to carry out their plans.
The aim of the action was to draw attention to the problems of women in Turkey. First, the activists started shouting slogans, then bottles and stones were thrown at the police. A clash broke out between security officials and protesters.
Law enforcement used tear gas to disperse the demonstration. Several people were detained. The women claimed that in this way they wanted to draw attention and make it clear to those around them that they were equal members of society and that they were thus looking for an opportunity for self-realization outside their home.
In France
, the French do not have the tradition of offering flowers to women on March 8, although, of course, this is not forbidden at all. Roses, carnations, tulips are presented to the ladies, usually on other holidays – Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day (last Sunday in May) and grandparents’ day (first Sunday in March).
International Women’s Day is only socially emphasized here, where the main thing is the fight for the rights of the “weaker sex”. Therefore, all the events that took place on March 8 in France were marked with this seal.
For example, a conference was held at the Paris City Hall under the impressive slogan “Eliminating Discrimination Against Women: Launching the Tour de France for Equality in France”. One of the topics of this event was the pay gap that still exists between the stronger and the weaker sex in business and production. According to social studies, women here earn 24% less than men, although the country has passed laws prohibiting this.
Another topic that has been the focus of many March 8 meetings and rallies has been the fight against violence against women in the family circle. It is estimated that more than 100 French women are killed each year by their husbands or partners, and 223,000 women between the ages of 18 and 75 are beaten.
Women’s Issues in the Modern World
In many countries around the world, women’s lives are far from ideal.
Today, worldwide:
- Women do not have the right to education in more than 155 countries;
- Up to 50% of rapes are committed against girls under the age of 16;
- Globally, 603 million women live in countries where domestic violence is not yet considered a crime;
- Up to 70% of women in the world say they have experienced physical and / or sexual violence in their lifetime;
- More than 60 million girls worldwide are married at an early age, under the age of 18.
In the face of such a serious situation, the international community is committed to changing the situation of women.
The meaning of mimosa
The “standard” flower of March 8 is considered mimosa. These yellow flowers became a symbol of Women’s Day, reminiscent of the fire of 1857 at a shirt factory in New York, where several workers lost their lives. It is said that mimosa flowers grew near that factory.
In fact, the custom of giving flowers differs from country to country. Thus, in Italy, Albania, Russia, and Georgia, mimosas are most commonly given to women on International Women’s Day; while in France, violets and lily of the valley are usually given on this day or no flowers are given at all. In Poland, women receive “special attention”, usually getting carnation flowers and a pair of socks.