International Women's Day 2018
It is a global celebration which aims to inspire women in countries across the world.
This year International Women's Day falls on Thursday, March 8.
The tradition began with the first National Women's Day in 1909 and its roots are in campaigning for better pay and voting rights.
Today, events will take place across Britain and the world to celebrate the achievements of women and hopefully inspire others.
The earliest event was held in New York in 1909 on February 28 it was organized by the Socialist Party of America.
A year later at the International Women's Conference in Copenhagen, Socialist representatives suggested there be an International Women's Day.
It was agreed it would be marked each year to promote equal rights for women and women's suffrage.
In 1913 it was proposed the date move to March 8 - it's been marked on this day ever since.
The aim of the day was for women to have equal pay - it's still an issue so the day is still being held every year.
Women earn 14% less than men in the UK. Last year the #MeToo campaign also grew in momentum, after women started to speak out about sexual harassment.
The women who spoke out are known as The Silence Breakers and they were named Time's Person of the Year.
source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/08/world/international-womens-day-2018.html
While International Women's Day is now largely aimed at inspiring women across the world and celebrating their achievements, its roots are in movements campaigning for better pay and voting rights.
The first National Women’s Day was marked on 28 February 1909 in the United States after a declaration by the Socialist Party of America.
During an International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen the following year, Clara Zetkin, leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, suggested the idea of an International Women's Day.
She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day. The idea was met with unanimous approval.1911 saw IWD honoured for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on March 19. Over a million people attended rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination.
A demonstration in New Delhi on Thursday. Credit Rajat Gupta/European Pressphoto Agency
source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/08/world/international-womens-day-2018.htmlOn the eve of World War I campaigning for peace, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. In 1965, it was declared as a non working day in the USSR.
International Women's Day was transferred to 8 March that same year and has remained the global date for the event ever since.
In 1975, the United Nations gave official sanction to International Women's Day and began sponsoring it.
The United States now designates the whole month of March as 'Women's History Month'.
IWD is also an official holiday in 15 countries including China, Ukraine and Vietnam.
Over the past few years Google have marked the occasion with a “Google Doodle” for International Women's Day, changing their logo on the search engine’s homepage to reflect the occasion. Sky News are marking today's 100th International Women's Day with an all female line-up.
source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/happy-international-womens-day-2018-12142081