Day USA
IWD HISTORY
As a young schoolgirl in Poland there was one day that I looked forward to above all others. A day filled with celebration, a day of unity. March 8th, International Women’s Day. This wonderful day was filled with ceremonies, tributes, and events dedicated to women. Newscasts chronicled these events in other countries and highlighted the historic achievements of women.
It’s hard to believe that less then one hundred years ago women were not allowed to join a union, get a degree or to hold a library card. The right to vote was a distant dream. At school I learned about the struggle for equality, that women were denied education opportunities and the freedom to work outside the home, and how they fought to gain these most basic of rights. International Women’s Day celebrates the journey we have taken and reminds us of the distance we must still travel.
Exactly ninety years ago, during a conference in Copenhagen, a bill celebrating International Women’s Day was introduced. Since 1913, International Women’s Day has been celebrated worldwide. This day was created to raise international awareness of the connection between all women and to bring attention to the cultural, social, and economic diversity of our lives. It is a day that gives us an opportunity to reclaim and commemorate our lost history. To give voice to the remarkable women who have come before us and to pave the way for the future achievements of our daughters and granddaughters. This day, March 8th, celebrates all that we have been, all that we are, and all that we will become.
International Women’s Day brings to light the historical records of women. Women who kept journals that chronicled their lives in the midst of oppression, genocide, slavery, and extreme poverty. This day profiles the important work of women as pioneers in political activism, in social reforms, in the arts, and in their communities. It is a day to celebrate ordinary women doing extraordinary work, and offers us a chance to honor these women who, without fanfare, are creating a better world for all of us. We also use this day to reexamine contemporary mainstream media accounts of male-dominated governments and corporations. International Women’s Day reminds us that women have fought for, and won, better educational opportunities and secured legislation to insure control of our earnings, property, employment rights, and suffrage.
This powerful day of unity and celebration has its roots in the late 1800s when a small group of dedicated women took the first steps toward securing a liberty that many of us now take for granted: the right to vote. These remarkable women created awareness with rallies and protests. As momentum grew, thousands of women across the globe organized and marched down the streets carrying banners of Green, White, and Violet. The message? G for Give, W for Women, V for Vote: Give Women the Vote!
The first country that granted women equal voting rights was New Zealand in 1893, followed by Australia in 1902. In the United States, Wyoming became the first state to provide for suffrage in its constitution when it first came into the Union in 1890. Fourteen years later, the state of Washington granted women the vote, followed by California in 1911, and Texas in 1918. In 1920 the United States granted equal suffrage to all women. Since that time, thirty-six countries have added legislation for equal voting rights.
In many countries women gained their franchise in stages. For example, while Sweden granted women the right to vote in 1863, it was restricted to municipal elections and limited to unmarried women who paid a certain amount of taxes. This remained in effect for fifty-five years until finally, in 1918, Sweden granted the vote to all women for all elections. The single biggest endorsement of women’s rights came in June 1945 when the United Nations signed the first international document clearly defining equal rights for women. Seven years later the UN adopted the Convention of the Political Rights of Women, which was passed by the General Assembly on December 20, 1952. This Convention stated that women were entitled to vote in all elections and eligible for office in all publicly elected bodies.
While there have been many victories for women’s rights over the past one hundred years, there is still much to be done. In a world where domestic violence is on the rise, where genital mutilation and rape camps still exist, we are reminded that this day must not only be about celebration, but also about awareness and education. When I learned about International Women’s Day as a schoolgirl, my eyes were opened to a whole new world. For everyone, men and women alike, awareness and education are the keys to ending violence against women and insuring equal rights.
March 8th is a day when men and women from all over the world come together and celebrate International Women’s Day. On this day events across the globe pay tribute to women past and present with music, dance, and poetry, profiling the important work of women from all different walks of life. We take this day to honor the rich heritage of women who have come before us; to honor the women who, right now, are changing the world we live in; and to honor the promise of an unlimited future for our daughters and granddaughters. A future that will have no need of an International Women’s Day, but will instead celebrate all human beings as individuals and equals.
Beata Pozniak - President and Founder
of Women's Day USA
© 2009 Women’s Day USA. All Rights Reserved.