We’re gearing up for this year’s International Women’s Day celebrations on 8th March, in what promises to be one of the most culturally significant holdings of the event for years. With many key developments having taken place over the last 12 months, there is much to celebrate and also many setbacks to take stock of for women everywhere.
2018 was a big year for the celebration, with the meteoric rise of the #MeToo and Time’s Up campaigns in the USA, the issue of the treatment of women in public life came under scrutiny and there was more media attention and debate on women’s rights than ever. Additionally, the UK and Germany celebrated 100 years of votes for women on February 6th and November 12th respecitvely. Also in a landmark move, women in Saudi Arabia were also (finally) permitted the right to attain driver’s licences.
Today we’re going to look at the key reasons to why we celebrate International Women’s day on March 8th.
First a little history:
The first International Women’s Day dates back to 28th February 1908 in New York City when 15,000 female textile workers marched in protest of lower pay, long working hours and a lack of voting rights. The following year the first National Women’s Day was observed by the Socialist Party of America. Then the following year after that, at the Socialist international Meeting in Copenhagen, the first global iteration of the event was held on the 19th March.
Why do we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th:
It wasn’t until 1914 that the date finally settled on the 8th March. The reason being that in 1914 the 8th was on a Sunday and it would be easier for women to attend marches and events on the day. Since then the date has been consistently held on the 8th, allowing a specific time to be fixed in the calendar. It was eventually enshrined as a United Nations Day in 1977, becoming the worldwide event we recognise today.
The annual celebration seeks to focus on the social, political, economic and cultural achievements of women around the world. There are 10 key values that are championed by the event which are justice, dignity, hope, equality, collaboration, tenacity, appreciation, respect, empathy and forgiveness, which all guide the planning of day itself.
In some countries it is also observed as a national holiday. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia and many of it’s former territories have continued to celebrate IWD as a national holiday. It also observed as a public holiday across many parts of Asia such as Afghanistan, Mongolia and Vietnam as well as in a number of central African countries.
What’s new in 2019:
The theme for 2019 is: Think equal, build smart, innovate for change. The focus is mainly on how equality can be built into everyday life and into social systems including social protection, public services and sustainable development.
There can be no doubt that a lot has changed in the 110 years since the first Women’s Day was celebrated. Whatever way you may choose to mark the 8th this year, be sure to remind the important women in your life however possible just how much they mean to you.
If you’re looking to celebrate a special women in your life, to show her just how important she is to you then nothing says that better than a colourful bouquet of flowers. With our range of flowers for International Women’s Day you can show her just how much she adds to your world. With FloraQueen‘s International delivery service to over 100 countries no matter how far away you may be on March 8th, you can still show her your thinking of her.