Significance of International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day (IWD) is observed on March 8 each year. It is a day dedicated to women to celebrate their achievements in different walks of life. It has been observed for more than a century.

In 1909, many women workers from the garment industry in the US protested against working conditions and succeeded. To honour them, the women’s day celebrations took place on February 28. Since then, the women’s day has been observed.

As per some sources, International Women’s Day was first observed in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.

Later, in 1917, a few women in Russia started to protest for bread and peace on February 23. At that time, Russia was not using the Gregorian calendar. So, February 23 in Russia corresponded to March 8 in other European countries. In this way, March 8 was chosen as International Women’s Day.

International Women’s Year was celebrated in 1975. At that time, the United Nations started celebrating March 8 as International Women’s Day.

However, the UN officially declared the day in 1977 for the first time. Since then, International Women’s Day has been observed on March 8 across the globe.

Three colours – purple, green, and white represent International Women’s Day. Each signifies some ideologies. Purple represents justice and dignity, green signifies hope, and white denotes purity. These colours were chosen by the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in 1908.

A theme is associated with International Women’s Day each year. This year’s theme is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”.

In India, National Women’s Day is observed on February 13. It is the birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu, the Nightingale of India. She was an activist for women’s rights. To mark her birthday, February 13 is celebrated as National Women’s Day each year.

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