On the centenary of International Women's Day on 8 March 2011, our Commonwealth Day 2011 theme 'Women as Agents of Change', has particular resonance. 100 years ago, on 19 March, International Women's Day was observed for the very first time. More than one million women and men attended rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination.
Reflecting on history is valuable. Less than a week after the Day was first observed, on 25 March 1911, the tragic 'Triangle Fire' in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. In the same year, as part of the Bread and Roses campaign, and drawing on the painful tragedy of the Triangle Fire, women took the lead in fighting for fair wages, better work conditions, and equality for workers, no matter where they came from. We have come a long way since then.
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