Today is International Women’s Day
In 2015, International Women’s Day will highlight the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a historic roadmap signed by 189 governments 20 years ago that sets the agenda for realizing women’s rights. While there have been many achievements since then, many serious gaps remain. This is the time to uphold women’s achievements, recognize challenges, and focus greater attention on women’s rights and gender equality to mobilize all people to do their part.
Since the US seems to be moving backwards in this and every other sphere we all need to get moving. I know lots of you are but the regressive forces are too. Read on below for more about this day.
We "discovered" International Woman's Day in Europe when my wife was given flowers and we saw the people turn out in great numbers to celebrate. Originally the day was a Socialist celebration: also called International Working Women's Day
The earliest Women’s Day observance was held on February 28, 1909, in New York; it was organized by the Socialist Party of America in remembrance of the 1908 strike of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. There was no specific strike happening on March 8, despite later claims.
In August 1910, an International Women's Conference was organized to precede the general meeting of the Socialist Second International in Copenhagen, Denmark. Inspired in part by the American socialists, German Socialist Luise Zietz proposed the establishment of an annual 'International Woman's Day' (singular) and was seconded by fellow socialist and later communist leader Clara Zetkin, although no date was specified at that conference. Delegates (100 women from 17 countries) agreed with the idea as a strategy to promote equal rights, including suffrage, for women. The following year, on March 19, 1911, IWD was marked for the first time, by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. In the Austro-Hungarian Empire alone, there were 300 demonstrations. In Vienna, women paraded on the Ringstrasse and carried banners honouring the martyrs of the Paris Commune. Women demanded that women be given the right to vote and to hold public office. They also protested against employment sex discrimination. Americans continued to celebrate National Women's Day on the last Sunday in February.
It is ironic that we we were unaware of this day back then since it originated in our country. Like May 1st the europeans have been much more aware of our own history than we have.
In the West, International Women's Day was first observed as a popular event after 1977 when the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for women's rights and world peace
Back in the sixties I first got involved in the new politics and more radical drives for women's rights and equality. I gave talks about how the rights of women and equality were the rights of all of us because men were also victims of the systematic oppression of women. One aspect I fought for was the use of the workplace to make the oppression happen. I asked that the raising of children b put in the forefront and that both partners be given the time off necessary to participate in the raising of children. Clearly these ideas never became popular.
So this year we face many of the same problems among so many others. The struggle never ends it seems.