Monday, 8 March 2021

8th March: International Women's Day


International Women's Day is celebrated on 8th March every year. It is a global day celebrating the economic, political, and social achievements of women past, present, and future. In places like China, Russia, Vietnam, and Bulgaria, International Women's Day is a national holiday.
The first National Woman's Day was observed in the United States on 28th February. The Socialist Party of America designated this day in honor of the 1908 garment workers' strike in New York, where women protested against working conditions, shorter hours, better pay, and voting rights.
In 1910, at the second International Conference of Working Women held in Copenhagen, Zetkin, the revolutionist from Germany and the co-founder of the International Socialist Women's Congress,  proposed that Women’s Day be celebrated in every country on the same day,  and it was accepted by more than 100 ladies from 17 countries and was celebrated on 19th March on 1911 and 1912.  In 1913, in Europe, on or around the 8th March, women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with other activists.  In 1917 on March 8th, women in Russia chose to protest and strike for "Bread and Peace"  which lasts for 4 days.  After World War II many countries started celebrating 8th March as Women's Day.
Finally, in 1975,  the United Nations began celebrating 8th March as International Women's Day and declared the year,1975 as an International Women's Year.  Since then, International women's day celebrated on March 8th every year.

Seen above is the miniature sheet issued in India on the occasion of 2007 Women's Day Celebrations.

Below is a Phila numismatics cover issued by India Post to commemorate 2020, International Women's Day