Women’s Day is not just about celebrating one day, it needs to be observed and inculcated everyday

Once again International Women’s Day is around the corner which is considered to be an apt platform for voicing myriad forms of issues, atrocities and discrimination against women on the one hand and recognising and celebrating women’s achievements in different walks of life (whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political) on the other hand. Emerging from certain parts of the USA and Europe during the early 1900s, it is celebrated worldwide today and in many countries, this day is even considered to be a national holiday.

Many brands and local outlets go frenzy about giving huge discounts on the articles particularly used by women on this day, as the near and dear ones tend to gift their women counterparts chocolates, cakes, teddy bears, and their favourite articles, taking them to their favourite dinner-outs etc. to make them feel ‘special’ on this day. But have we ever paused to think, ‘Do Women really need all this?’ These gifts may, of course, play an important role in celebrating the achievements rather than recognising the very importance of provisioning for a dignified life for women in all walks of life; however, they can’t substitute the agony and pain of the women who are still suffering with various issues. Infact, in certain cases, they are still even denied basic human rights or better expressed as ‘self-decision making’ power.

In today’s times, the exchange of messages over WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook and other social media on this day may seem to be an easy and delightful gesture to show that one is actually concerned about women’s issues. However, this wasn’t that easy for the women in the early 1900s when they had to fight to secure even their basic rights and a dignified livelihood.

The early 20th century was the period that witnessed great expansion and turbulence due to the Industrial Revolution. Labour movements broke in certain parts of the USA and Europe as women workers, in particular, were forced to work in poor working conditions and denied their rightful wages. In 1908, around 15,000 women marched through the streets of New York City, demanding shorter hours of work, better pay and voting rights. As a mark of this event, one of the earliest reported Women’s Day events was held on February 28, 1909. It was organised by the Socialist Party of America at the suggestion of activist Theresa Malkiel. She was an American labour activist, suffragist and educator who became the first woman to rise from factory work to leadership in the Socialist Party.

In 1910, a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen, Denmark. A woman named Clara Zetkin (Leader of the ‘Women’s Office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women’s Day to be celebrated every year in every country which was accepted with a unanimous approval by 100 women delegates from 17 countries. Thus, the International Women’s Day (IWD) came to see the light of the day. Following this decision, in 1911, International Women’s Day was honoured for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on March 19, wherein more than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women’s rights to work, vote, be educated, to hold public offices and end discrimination in all forms.

On the eve of World War I, campaigning for peace, Russian women observed their first International Women’s Day on February 23, 1917 (the last Sunday in February). In 1917, they began a strike for “Bread and Peace” in response to the death of over 2 million Russian soldiers in World War I. Opposed by political leaders, the women continued to strike for four days. Later, the Czar was forced to abdicate, and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote.

On March 25, 1928, Australia first observed International Women’s Day through a rally in Sydney’s Domain organised by the Militant Women’s Group of the Communist Party wherein women demanded fully paid annual holidays, equal pay for equal work, female store clerks having eight-hour days, an end to piece work, and a basic wage for those without employment.

International Women’s Day was recognised for the first time by the United Nations in 1975. In 1977, the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to “proclaim in accordance with their historical and national traditions and customs, any day of the year as United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace”. Later on, following many rounds of discussions among the member countries, International Women’s Day was agreed to be marked annually on March 8 worldwide as per the Gregorian calendar. This day has remained the global date for IWD ever since, with each year’s observance centred on a particular theme or issue related to women’s rights.

India celebrates National Women’s Day on February 13, marking Sarojini Naidu’s birth anniversary who championed the cause of women’s rights and empowerment and has been the key figure in India’s independence movement. The day highlights milestones achieved in gender equality, from voting rights to political representation, while promoting leadership opportunities for women across education, business, and governance.

The year 2011 saw the 100-year centenary of International Women’s Day. In the United States, President Barack Obama proclaimed March 2011 to be “Women’s History Month”, calling Americans to mark IWD by reflecting on “the extraordinary accomplishments of women” in shaping the country’s history. Since its emergence to the present day, the world has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women’s and society’s thoughts about women’s equality and emancipation. Once living in isolation and desperateness, women from all walks of life today are connected globally through a web of local activities, political rallies, business conferences, government activities and other such networking events.

With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased share of women’s visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that the envisioned goals behind celebrating the IWD have been achieved to a great extent.  However, the unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women’s education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.

Thus, while celebrating IWD has certainly augmented the cause of women’s equality and achieved many milestones in this direction, but as expressed by Robert Frost in his famous poem ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’, ‘still there are miles to go before I sleep’ very aptly indicates that IWD is not just about celebrating once a year, it is about thinking, observing and inculcating the notion of envisioning every women’s life with dignity every single day.