International Women's Day is celebrated every March 8th, honoring the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women while calling attention to the ongoing fight for gender equality. What started as a labor movement over a century ago has grown into a truly global observance.
Here are 12 facts about the history, traditions, and meaning behind this important day.
International Women's Day traces back to 1909, when the Socialist Party of America organized a National Woman's Day in New York City on February 28th to call for better working conditions, higher wages, and voting rights.
In 1910, German activist Clara Zetkin proposed an international version of the day at the International Socialist Women's Conference in Copenhagen, and delegates from 17 countries approved the idea unanimously.
The first International Women's Day was celebrated on March 19, 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland, with over a million people attending rallies demanding the right to vote, work, and hold public office.
The date moved to March 8th in 1913, and it has remained the official date of International Women's Day ever since.
Purple, green, and white are the official colors of International Women's Day. Purple symbolizes justice and dignity, green symbolizes hope, and white represents purity, though that last meaning is debated.
The United Nations began officially observing International Women's Day in 1975, which was designated the International Year of Women.
In 1987, the U.S. Congress declared March as National Women's History Month, expanding on a single day of recognition into a full month.
International Women's Day is a public holiday in a number of countries, including Russia, Vietnam, Cuba, and Uganda; in China, women are traditionally given a half-day off work.
Every year, International Women's Day has a different global theme. The 2021 campaign theme was "Choose to Challenge," while the United Nations' 2022 theme was "Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow."
The United Nations' 2023 International Women's Day theme was "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality," spotlighting the digital gender gap.
Celebrations vary widely by country: some nations hold marches and rallies, while others mark the day with conferences, workshops, gift-giving, or flowers, similar to how Mother's Day is observed elsewhere.
Women's organizations and grassroots groups play a central role in planning International Women's Day events, using the day to raise awareness, raise funds, and push for policy change on women's rights.
International Women's Day is officially recognized by the United Nations and observed in more than 100 countries, making it one of the most widely marked awareness days in the world.
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