International Women's Day has taken place on the 8th of March since the early 1900s, celebrating how far women have come in today's society since its creation. 

 

Clara Zetkin, who was a communist activist and women's rights advocate, suggested the creation of an international women’s day. In Copenhagen in 1910 she went to an International Conference of Working Women where there were 100 women from 17 different countries; they voted for it unanimously. Although Clara Zatkin’s idea did not plan to be on March 8th, the reason it is celebrated then is to represent the start of the 1917 strike in Russia when women gained the right to vote.

 

There are many different ways to celebrate international women's day that are usually celebrated differently in different countries. For example in China many women are given half the day off of work or in Italy it is celebrated by giving mimosa blossoms. It can also be celebrated by wearing the 3 colours of International Women’s Day: purple (represents justice and dignity), green (represents hop) and white (represents purity).

 

Even though women's rights have largely been improving there are still many countries where women are treated as inferior to men. Many girls still don’t have access to full education or full legal rights. Worldwide around 736 million (around 1 in 3) women above the age of 15 have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life.


 

Despite the fact that women's rights have progressed so far since the creation of International Women’s Day, it doesn't mean that we should stop the effort for equality. Happy International Women’s Day!