Women's Day or Rights

Women’s day is basically called international working women’s day. The day marked on March 8 every year. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciationa and love towards women to a celebration for women economic, political and social achievemants. The first national working women’s day was observed on 28 february 1909 in united states following a declaration by the socialist party of america. Second international women’s conference was organized in august 1940 to precede the general meeting of the Socialist in copenhagen. 100 women from 17 countries agreed with the idea as a strategy to promote equal rights including suffrage for women. On the 18 March, 1911 international women’s day was marked for the first time by over a million people in austria, denmark, germany and switzerland. In vienna women paraded on the ringstrasse and carried banners honouring the martyrs of the paris commune. Women demanded that women be given the right to vote and to hold public office. They also protested against employment sex discrimination. Americans continued to celebrate national wome’s day on the last Sunday in February.

In 1913 russian women observed their first international women’s day on the last Sunday in February. In 1917 demonstrations marking international women’s day in st. Petersburg on the last Sunday in February initiated the february revolution. On May 8, 1965 by the decree of the USSR Presidium of the Supreme Soviet International Women's Day was declared a non working day in the USSR "in commemoration of the outstanding merits of Soviet women in communistic construction, in the defense of their Fatherland during the Great Patriotic War, in their heroism and selflessness at the front and in the rear, and also marking the great contribution of women to strengthening friendship between peoples, and the struggle for peace. But still, women's day must be celebrated as are other holidays."

It was celebrated by the communists in China from 1922, and by Spanish communists from 1936. After the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949 the state council proclaimed on December 23 that March 8 would be made an official holiday with women in China given a half-day off.

In the West, International Women's Day was first observed as a popular event after 1977 when the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for Women's Rights and International Peace.

Now In 2012

The UN theme for International Women’s Day 2012 is Empower Women – End Hunger and Poverty. In many countries, International Women's Day is an occasion to honor and praise women for their accomplishments. In 2012, Oxfam America is inviting people to celebrate inspiring women in their lives by sending a free International Women’s Day e-Card or honoring a woman whose efforts make a difference in the fight against hunger and poverty with Oxfam’s International Women’s Day award. 

On the occasion of International Women's Day 2012, the ICRC is calling for more action to help the mothers and wives of people who have gone missing during armed conflict. The vast majority of people who go missing in connection with conflict are men. As well as the anguish of not knowing what has happened to the missing person, many of these women face economic and practical difficulties. The ICRC underlines the duty of parties to a conflict to search for the missing and provide information for the families.