“Can you tell us about the origins of International Women’s Day on March 8th?

On March 8, 1857, female textile workers in New York rebelled against unusual working conditions, 16-hour workdays, and low wages in a factory. They stopped working and went on strike. During this resistance, many women died in a fire that broke out in the factory. This action was the first to be associated with both the demand for women’s rights and workers’ rights. Years later, in 1910, an International Women Workers meeting was held in Copenhagen. While discussing women’s rights at this meeting, Clara Zetkin, a prominent figure of the German Social Democratic Party, made a proposal. Zetkin suggested that March 8th should be a celebration day to commemorate the women who lost their lives in 1857. One hundred women attending the meeting accepted this proposal. Thus, March 8th was declared as International Women’s Day in memory of those women. In 1911, in many countries, demonstrations were held to express women’s rights, gender equality, equal pay for equal work, and the right to vote. A total of one million women participated in these actions.

By 1975, the United Nations officially declared March 8th as International Women’s Day. In 1977, it informed its member countries that this day should be officially celebrated