Women and girls all over the world are tomorrow, Wednesday, March 8, 2023 expected to observe International Women's Day.
March 8 each year is observed and celebrated as International Women's Day worldwide.
International Women's Day, also known as IWD for short, grew out of the labor movement to become a recognized annual event by the United Nations (UN).
The seeds of it were planted in 1908, when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter working hours, better pay and the right to vote. A year later, the Socialist Party of America declared the first National Woman's Day.
The idea to make the day international came from a woman called Clara Zetkin, a communist activist and advocate for women's rights. She suggested the idea in 1910 at an International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen. There were 100 women there, from 17 countries, and they agreed on her suggestion unanimously.
It was first celebrated in 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. The centenary was celebrated in 2011, so this year we're technically celebrating the 111th International Women's Day.
Things were made official in 1975 when the United Nations started celebrating the day. The first theme adopted by the UN (in 1996) was "Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future".
International Women's Day has become a date to celebrate how far women have come in society, in politics and in economics, while the political roots of the day mean strikes and protests are organized to raise awareness of continued inequality.
The theme for this year's International Women's Day 2023 Campaign theme is #EmbraceEquity.
"For International Women's Day and beyond, let's all fully #EmbraceEquity," a statement said.
Equity isn't just a nice-to-have, it's a must-have.
A focus on gender equity needs to be part of every society's DNA and it's critical to understand the difference between equity and equality.
The aim of the IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme is to get the world talking about why equal opportunities aren't enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action.
