International Women’s Day 2024: Celebrating Women’s Empowerment and Achievements Worldwide

International Women’s Day 2024: A Global Celebration of Women’s Achievements

What is International Women’s Day?
International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8th each year, is a global day honoring the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. International Women’s Day (IWD) has been observed since the early 1900s, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies.

Countries Declaring National Holidays
IWD is an official holiday in several countries around the world, including Afghanistan, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, and parts of Germany (specifically Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Guinea, emphasizing its significance across diverse cultures.

Special Initiatives in Rajasthan, India
In Rajasthan, India, the Office of the Director, Archaeology and Museum Department, Jaipur, celebrates this day by offering free entry to all protected/operated monuments and museums for women and girls on March 8, 2024. This initiative aims to encourage women’s empowerment and recognize their contributions to history and society.

Why March 8?
The specific date of March 8th traces back to 1917 when women in Petrograd, Russia, protested for “Bread and Peace” – demanding the end of World War I, the end of Russian food shortages, and the end of czarism. Clara Zetkin suggested in 1921 that March 8th be adopted internationally to commemorate these struggles and the ongoing fight for women’s rights.

Theme for 2024: Inspire Inclusion
The campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is “Inspire Inclusion,” with the overarching theme being “Invested in Women: Accelerating Progress.” These themes reflect the day’s origins and its future direction, focusing on gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls worldwide.

Who Created International Women’s Day?
The idea for an International Women’s Day was proposed by Clara Zetkin, leader of the ‘Women’s Office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, during the second International Conference of Working Women in 1910.

First Celebration and Significance of Colors
The first National Women’s Day was celebrated in the United States in 1909, with the colors purple, green, and white symbolizing justice and dignity, hope, and purity, respectively. These colors have become synonymous with the IWD movement, embodying the spirit of women’s equality.

Recognition by the United Nations
In 1975, the United Nations officially recognized International Women’s Day, further solidifying its importance as a global observance for women’s rights and gender equality.

World’s First Woman President
Highlighting women’s achievements in leadership roles, María Estela ‘Isabel’ Martínez Cartas de Perón of Argentina became the world’s first woman president, serving from 1974 to 1976.

International Women’s Day 2024 invites us to reflect on the progress made, call for change, and celebrate acts of courage and determination by women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.