International Women's Day (IWD) was celebrated on March 8. 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. The next year, at a meeting in Copenhagen, the idea of an international women’s day celebration was adopted by the 100 women attending from 17 countries. The goal was to promote equal rights, including suffrage, for women. Let us not forget that women did not get the right to vote in the U.S. until 1920 when the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified.
In recent years, the U.N. has promoted the goal of equality. 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. There are thousands of events planned globally—over 200 in the U.S. alone. To learn more go to www.internationalwomensday.com.
In recent years, the U.N. has promoted the goal of equality. 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. There are thousands of events planned globally—over 200 in the U.S. alone. To learn more go to www.internationalwomensday.com.