By Prateeksha Singhal
Women are powerful, strong, and indomitable. With thousands of mantras buoying women's corporeality every day, a special day is indeed a requisite to celebrate women's achievements and accomplishments in all aspects of life. Whether she is a teacher, economist, doctor, engineer, pioneer or homemaker, women have been making the world a better place with their horizonless strength, belief, and determination. With power enough to raze the impediments of patriarchy, women are rising above societal hurdles every single day, making them a stronger force to reckon with, in modern times.
This International Women's Day, we are celebrating and rejoicing the social, cultural, economic, and political achievements of women all over the world. Eloquent activity is witnessed worldwide to celebrate women's achievements or rally for women's equality, as all women come together.
Theme for 2023 International Women’s Day:
International Women’s Day in celebrated on 8 March, every year. This year, the aim is to create a gender-equal world. It is also about raising mindfulness against bias and celebrating a woman’s success. The hashtags for this year are #ChooseToChallenge and #IWD2023.
Several businesses have been created to do the same. We should hail equality for women in sport, celebrate tech women and their inventions, educate women on health choice decisions, build inclusive prosperous workplaces, accelerate the visibility of ingenious women, and establish their empowerment worldwide.
International Women's Day has been adhered since the early 1900s. That was the time of great boost and turbulence in the industrialized world that witnessed roaring population growth and the rise of radical testaments.
The history:
It was during 1908 that there was an ongoing deprecatory debate amongst women regarding their inequality and oppression. The crusade for change started to become more vocal when 15,000 women marched through the New York City demanding better pays, shorter hours of works as well as voting rights. The first Women's Day was observed across the United States in the year 1909. An international conference of working women was held in Copenhagen in the year 1910. This is where the idea was proposed by Clara Zetkin, a leader of the Women's Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany. In 1911, International Women's Day was honoured for the first time in Germany, Denmark, Austria, and Switzerland on 19 March. Between 1913 and 1914, Russia observed their first Women's Day on February 23. Later, it was decided March 8 to be globally accepted to celebrate IWD. In the year 1975, International Women's Day was celebrated for the first time by the United Nations.
Colours of International Women’s Day:
Did you know that there are also colours as well for this day? The three colours are green, purple, and white. Green symbolizes hope, Purple signifies justice and dignity, and white represents purity. The colours originated in the year 1908 in the UK from the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU).
Not many would be aware that International Women's Day is not specific to any group, organisation, or country. The day belongs to women far and wide. Let us identify and celebrate women's achievements by increasing their visibility. There is a dire need for increased mindfulness through meaningful resources, narratives, and activities to combat gender biasness and discrimination.
We cannot be complacent. We should all play our part in bringing gender equality. Wishing all the ladies out there a Happy Women’s Day.
