The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Image credit: Luizclas

Today is the day we celebrate woman everywhere! Have you ever wondered how International Women’s Day came to be? We’ll let you in on its history – and, just a reminder, you don’t need to be a woman to celebrate.

It all started back in 1908 when oppression and inequality was an ongoing issue that was constantly debated between women – and so women of that era decided to take matters into their own hands and start a campaign in order to voice their concerns on the issue. On the 8^th of March, around 15,000 women marched through New York City, calling for equal pay and the right to vote. The following, year on that same date, the first Women’s Day was celebrated across the United States of America.

In 1910, that prompted Clara Zetkin, the leader of the Women’s Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, to propose the idea of making it an international celebration and a day for women to call for change, and by 1911, on the 19th of March, International Women’s Day (IWD) was celebrated by millions of people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. They advocated women’s working and voting rights, the right to be educated and in positions of authority, and be free from prejudice. It later reverted to the 8th of March and continued to be celebrated worldwide. In 1913 Russian women had their first IWD on the 23rd of February, where they campaigned for peace, the day before WW1.

The next year, women across Europe organised marches and protests against the war and demonstrated women’s unity. In London, in support of women’s suffrage, a demonstration was held from Bow to Trafalgar Square, where Sylvia Pankhurst, a suffragette campaigner, was arrested when she was on her way to speak.

In Russia, in 1917, as a result of two million Russian war deaths, Russian women began a strike for “bread and peace”. Even with resistance from political leaders, the women continued to strike for four days until the Czar (Emperor) abdicated and women were given the right to vote. From then on, the status quo remained until 1967, when “second-wave feminists” started demanding equal rights and pay again and decided that the day should be a day of activism. Then, in 1975, the UN began celebrating IWD, and two years later, the UN General Assembly proclaimed that the 8th of March would be the official UN day for women’s rights and world peace; to this day, women are still calling for equality and rights.

In 1996 the UN announced the theme for that year’s annual IWD would be “Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future”, and continued to create a theme each year. Such titles include “Women at the Peace Table” in 1997, “Women and Human Rights” in 1998, and “World Free of Violence Against Women” in 1999. Did you also know that IWD has specific colours for the day? In 1908, The Women’s Social and Political Union in the UK decided on purple, green, and white. Each colour symbolises something different; purple is justice and dignity, green is hope, and white is purity.

Now, in the 21st century, we continue to advocate for women’s right and equality. A platform was launched that adopts an annual theme, highlighting and making the contributions of women tangible, while maintaining the call for accelerating gender diversity and providing valuable advice and support. In 2011, International Women’s Day celebrated its 100th anniversary, celebrating the actions that took place in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland, precisely 100 years before.

Comparing then and now, women and society have witnessed many changes and struggles. Even though women still aren’t being paid equally to men, they are still underrepresented in business, politics, and education, and harassment against them is growing worldwide. However, significant progress has been achieved. We have female senators and prime ministers, girls are accepted into universities, women will work and raise a family, and have real options – and so each year, we take the chance to celebrate and advocate for change and for women’s voices to be heard. So let us take the opportunity to celebrate women from the past who fought for this day, and celebrate the women who are with us and their achievements that we should applaud them for – for their constant fight for equality in education, workplaces, sports, and for freedom.