Women’s Day 2024: International Women’s Day (IWD), which is celebrated every year on March 8, is a day that recognizes the economic, social, and cultural accomplishments of women. It also serves as an opportunity to take action towards increasing gender equality. The day not only celebrates the accomplishments and achievements women have achieved, but it is also a reminder of the ongoing fight to achieve equality and the need to continue campaigning and taking action throughout the world.
Today, many events are held across the world to celebrate the efforts of all who care about human rights and the ongoing fight for gender equality. According to Gloria Steinem aptly stated, “The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to neither a single feminist nor any one organisation but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.”
Here’s everything you need to know about International Women’s Day 2024.
International Women’s Day: Theme 2024
The United Nations has designated the year 2024’s theme to be “Invest in Women to Accelerate Progress, with a focus on combating economic inequality, and the theme for the year is “Inspire inclusion.’
It emphasizes the importance of inclusion and diversity in all facets of society. This campaign puts a heavy focus on acknowledging the significance of inclusion and diversity across all areas of society and highlighting the crucial role played by inclusion in advancing gender equality.
International Women’s Day: The Origin
International Women’s Day has its roots in the 20th century and arose from the labor movement throughout North America and Europe. It was the first time National Women’s Day was observed in the United States on February 28, 1909, created by the Socialist Party of America to celebrate the 1908 garment worker strikes that took place in New York, where women protested against the working conditions.
In 1910, Clara Zetkin proposed International Women’s Day at the International Women’s Conference in Copenhagen. The idea was overwhelmingly accepted and led to the first official celebration in 1911 across a variety of European nations, with more than one million people demonstrating the rights of women.
In the past, International Women’s Day has developed into a worldwide day of appreciation and celebration. It was the day that the United Nations began celebrating the day in 1975. Two years after that, in 1977, it was announced that the UN General Assembly invited member states to proclaim the 8th of March as the day of the United Nations dedicated to women’s rights as well as world peace.
International Women’s Day: Significance
International Women’s Day lies in its ability to draw attention to issues like gender, rights to reproductive health, and abuse of women. It is a place for collaboration and collective action to advocate for female rights as well as empowerment. Overall, it is an opportunity to remember that gender equality is not yet reached, and an organization like the World Economic Forum estimates that it will take nearly 100 years for gender equality to be achieved.
International Women’s Day is not only a celebration of the achievements of women; it’s also a call for actions for gender equality, which is why we encourage contemplation and advocacy as well as steps to break the barriers that hinder women and girls across the world.