On March 8th, the world celebrated International Women’s Day. Marches, rallies, virtual summits, and demonstrations took place that focused on women’s empowerment, gender equality, and the recognition of female achievements.
The celebration dates back to 1909, when the Socialist Party of America organized the first National Woman’s Day in response to 15,000 women marching through New York City the previous year to demand better working conditions and voting rights. In 1911, the first International Women’s Day was celebrated on March 19th, but it was later changed to March 8th and gained more recognition during the First World War years.
This year, International Women’s Day was celebrated in over 100 countries, with the theme “Accelerate Action”. This theme was created to highlight the importance of achieving gender equality and the urgency of taking action now. Currently, progress toward equality is taking too long, resulting in a number of victims. For instance, at the present pace of change, it will take 134 years to close the gender pay gap.
Europe: Spain
Protests and demonstrations, in an array of sizes, took place in many cities. The biggest ones were organized by feminists in Madrid and Barcelona, with over 100,000 people joining the marches. However, it is important to note that protesters in both cities were divided, as their takes on feminism and gender equality differed in the scope of inclusion of the transgender community. Other prominent locations in Spain like Mallorca, Valencia, and Zaragoza also joined the movement promoting gender equality.
North America: USA
Over 300 protests were planned for Saturday across the country, which some believe could have been triggered by the discriminatory actions taken by the Trump administration. In major American cities, such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C., rallies and marches took place, focusing on raising awareness of gender inequality and intersectionality issues. Speakers emphasized the importance of increased regulation and policy changes to address gender-based violence and discrimination. Performances by local artists were organized to demonstrate the interconnectivity of art and activism.
South America: Argentina
Thousands of women gathered in the streets of Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and other sizable cities to present their complaints not only about the gender inequalities taking place in the country but also in regards to President Javier Milei’s policies. Protesters held banners in support of women who became victims of gender-based violence. Moreover, many participants replaced the usual purple clothing with green, emphasizing the need to make safe abortions more accessible to Argentinian women.
Asia: India
Besides the demonstrations and rallies organized by the citizens, the government also organized events to celebrate women. Walkathons for gender equality, cycling events with the participation of officials emphasizing women’s strength and resilience, marathons promoting safety and empowerment all took place to demonstrate a more positive approach to International Women’s Day. Meanwhile, thousands of women gathered in Delhi and Mumbai to voice their demands against gender-based violence, better implementation of existing laws, as well as workplace equality, featuring speeches by activists and politicians in the field.
Africa: Ghana
The capital city of Accra hosted a large rally with activists and government officials, who shared their thoughts on gender equality and women empowerment. In other cities, workshops and seminars on women’s health and education were hosted, aiming to provide women with more resources to improve their lives and enlarge their opportunities. Additionally, community gatherings and discussions took place to highlight the importance of voicing and addressing gender-based violence, ultimately promoting women’s rights.
Post-Soviet Countries
Traditionally, March 8th is a celebration of women and their achievements, often expressed through men gifting flowers and presents to their loved ones and female family members, as well as taking them on dates and restaurants. As International Women’s Day is also a national holiday in post-Soviet countries, women get to rest all day and enjoy their day. Many government-organized events take place to commemorate the day even more. In some countries, such as Armenia, the celebration extends until April 7th, ending women’s month with National Mother’s Day.
Featured image courtesy of Journee-Mondiale.
