What to know about International Women’s Day

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Mexico City – Women around the world will call for equal pay, reproductive rights, education, justice and decision-making during the demonstrations on Saturday at International Women’s Day.

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International Women’s Day was officially recognized by the United Nations in 1977 and is commemorated in different ways and in varying degrees of ways around the world. Protests are often political and sometimes violent, stemming from women’s efforts to improve workers’ rights.

The demonstrations are from Tokyo to Mexico City, and this year’s global theme is “Accelerating Action”, in which many activists fear the current political environment may lead to many rights they have long fought for. According to UN data, one in four countries reported opposition to women’s rights last year.

Here’s what to know about the global event on March 8:

What is International Women’s Day?

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International Women’s Day is a global celebration and a call to action – characterized by demonstrations (mostly women), from aggressive protests to charitable events. Some celebrate women’s economic, social and political achievements, while others urge the government to ensure equal salaries, access to health care, justice for victims of gender-based violence and justice for education for girls.

This is a formal holiday in more than 20 countries, including Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Ukraine, Russia and Cuba, the only one in the Americas.

Like other aspects of life, social media plays a major role during International Women’s Day, especially by expanding attention to suppressing government demonstrations on women and countries that generally disagree.

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When did it start and why did it fall on March 8?

While the idea behind Women’s Day was originated in the United States with the American Socialist Party in 1909, German feminists promoted global commemorations at the International Conference on Socialist Women in Copenhagen in 1910. The following year, activities in Europe marked a day when women used it to protest armed conflict during World War I, which lasted from 1914 to 1918.

After a massive protest in Russia on 23 February 1917, International Women’s Day was observed on March 8, which led to the country’s final withdrawal from the war. At that time, Russia had not adopted the Gregorian calendar, but still used the Julian calendar.

“On February 23, Russia went out to protest bread and peace in Western Europe on March 8,” said Kristen Ghodsee, professor and chairman of Russian and Eastern European Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. “The authorities could not stop them, and then, once the men saw women in the streets, all the workers started coming and joining the women.”

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The United Nations commemorated the holiday in 1975, the International Year of Women, and its conference was officially recognized two years later.

How is it celebrated worldwide?

Women in Eastern Europe have long received flowers on March 8 and sometimes even took leave. However, chocolate and candy can be a derogatory gesture, indicating a lack of understanding of the fight against driving women, especially in areas where protests are being protested.

In Türkiye, women bravely banned International Women’s Day parades in Istanbul in 2023 and protested about two hours before police used tear gas to disperse crowds and detained dozens of people.

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In Mexico, one of the largest parades in the region, this year’s celebrations are characterized by sharp contrast. As the country celebrates its first female president, many also mourn victims of violence against women, including women. In Mexico and Latin America, violence among women is rising, and persistent masculinity is often killed on March 8 as protesters demand justice.

Globally, a woman or girl is killed by a family member or partner every 10 minutes, and women have been greatly affected by conflict over the past decade, according to the United Nations.

What impact will the future of March 8 have?

Ghodsee said commemorating International Women’s Day is now more important than ever, as women lost their gains in the last century, the highest of which was the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn the national right to abortion, which ended the end of nearly 50 years of constitutional protection.

The U.S. decision to abortion echoed in Europe’s political landscape, forcing the issue back to public debate in some countries at a time when far-right nationalist parties were affected.

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