International Women's Day: Tracing the Origins and Significance .
Wednesday, 07 March 2012 07:08 | Written by Meron Abraha |
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As the months of March sets in, it's not only the start of spring that we
celebrate but also a far nobler event of global importance: the eighth of
the month marks International Women's Day.
Taking off from a socialist cause over a century ago, the celebration has
today become an event where women's economic, social, and political
achievements are reflected on.
As people, if we are to build a more peaceful, prosperous, and just world,
then we will definitely need to abandon circumscribing the participation of
women, who in most societies constitute half of the total population, and
hence half of the potential workforce and production.
Equally, in Eritrea, women have always played a central role in the national
development. They fought alongside their male counterparts during Eritrea's
struggle for independence, and to this day continue their contribution
towards nation building.
Only when women are engaged at every level of society, can we successfully
tackle the challenges that confront us in relation to the environment,
security, economics, development, etc. Because, when women make progress,
countries make progress. The education of a girl is the most effective
development investment that can be made with enormous positive consequences
for her future and her family's future.
And it is to remember and celebrate these positives that we observe the
International Women's Day. Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held
throughout the world to inspire women and commemorate achievements.
But how and why was March 8 selected to be women's day?
The idea of an International Women's Day first arose at the turn of the
century, which in the industrialized world was a period of expansion and
turbulence, booming population growth and radical ideologies.
The first National Women's Day was celebrated in the United States on 28
February 1909. Women continued to celebrate it on the last Sunday of that
month through 1913.
An international conference, held by socialist organizations from around the
world, met in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1910. The conference of the Socialist
International proposed a Women's Day that was designed to be international
in character. The proposal initially came from Clara Zetkin, a German
socialist, who suggested an International Day to mark the strike of garment
workers in the United States. The proposal was greeted with unanimous
approval by the conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, including
the first three women elected to the parliament of Finland. The Day was
established to honor the movement for women's rights, including the right to
vote (known as 'suffrage'). At that time, no fixed date was selected for the
observance.
The following year, 1911, International Women's Day was marked for the first
time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. The date was March 19 and
over a million men and women took to the streets in a series of rallies. In
addition to the right to vote and to hold public office, they demanded the
right to work and an end to discrimination on the job.
Less than a week later, on 25 March, the tragic Triangle Fire in New York
City took place. Over 140 workers, mostly young Italian and Jewish immigrant
girls working at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, lost their lives because
of the lack of safety measures. The Women's Trade Union League and the
International Ladies' Garment Workers Union led many of the protests against
this avoidable tragedy, including the silent funeral march, which brought
together a crowd of over 100,000 people. The Triangle Fire had a significant
impact on labor legislation and the horrible working conditions leading up
to the disaster were invoked during subsequent observances of International
Women's Day.
As part of the peace movement brewing on the eve of World War I, Russian
women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in
February 1913. Elsewhere in Europe, on or around 8 March of the following
year, women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity
with their sisters.
When the Czar of Russia was later forced to abdicate, the provisional
Government granted women the right to vote. That historic Sunday fell on 23
February on the Julian calendar (then in use in Russia), but coincided with
8 March on the Gregorian calendar used by people elsewhere.
And since those early years, International Women's Day has assumed a new
global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike.
Women's organizations and governments around the world observed the Day
annually on March 8 by holding large-scale events that honor women's
advancement and while diligently reminding of the continued vigilance and
action required to ensure that women's equality is gained and maintained in
all aspects of life.
http://shaebia.org/images/stories/women.jpg
Like in Eritrea, International Women's Day is an official holiday in
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cuba,
Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Moldova, Mongolia,
Montenegro, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan,
Vietnam and Zambia. In Nepal, China and Madagascar the day is an official
holiday for women only. And in some countries, the Day has the equivalent
status of Mother's Day where children give small presents to their mothers
and grandmothers.
March 8, International Women's Day should therefore be an event that calls
on people of all walks of life to challenge gender discriminations and
ensure equal opportunities for both genders.
And as we celebrate Women's Day tomorrow yet another time, we salute the
strength and commitment of Eritrean women that is still intact, driving them
to work even harder to ensure women's equal participation in all endeavors.
We salute the women who are reiterating their readiness to strengthen their
resistance against all odds.
Last Updated (Wednesday, 07 March 2012 07:09)
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Received on Wed Mar 07 2012 - 08:13:21 EST
