New Delhi: International Womens Day 2021. International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on 8 March. The purpose of these days is also to promote the rights of women. Talking about the year 2021, this year International Women’s Day is being celebrated on the theme of ‘Women in leadership: an equal future in a COVID-19 world’. Women’s Leadership: The theme of ‘Achieving a Equal Future in the World of COVID-19’ has been chosen amidst a host of circumstances. Significantly, this year this theme has been set to highlight the contribution of girls and women worldwide as health care workers, innovators etc. during the COVID-19 epidemic. Let me tell you that International Women’s Day was first celebrated in 1996, then this day was celebrated on the theme of ‘Celebration of the past, planning for the future’.
This is how International Women’s Day started
International Women’s Day began in 1908 in New York City, USA. According to historical documents, the foundation of International Women’s Day was laid due to a women’s labor movement. More than 15000 women then demonstrated on the streets for their rights. The agitating women demanded that working hours be reduced, salary increased and voting rights also given.
After this women’s movement, the Socialist Party of America first announced to celebrate National Women’s Day. After this, the idea of celebrating International Women’s Day was first given by a woman, Clara Jetkin. When Clara Jetkin attended the International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen, the Danish capital, there were around 100 women who came from 17 countries.
Clara’s proposal was unanimously approved by all women. Clara Jetkin proposed to celebrate Women’s Day globally in the year 1910. Thus in 1911, the first International Women’s Day was celebrated in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. But International Women’s Day was formally recognized in 1975 by the United Nations. Since then it is being celebrated worldwide.
International Women’s Day is celebrated to achieve these objectives
- The most important objective of celebrating International Women’s Day is to bring equality between women and men.
- In many countries of the world, even today women do not have the right to equality, women are backward in terms of education and health.
- Reducing violence against women is also a major objective of International Women’s Day.
- Women in jobs face obstacles in promotion, while women are also backward in the field of self-employment. Making women aware on this issues.
This is how International Women’s Day is celebrated in the world
- International Women’s Day is celebrated in different ways in every country of the world.
- Many countries like Russia, China, Cambodia, Nepal and Georgia have a holiday on International Women’s Day.
- In China, women get half-a-day off from work on International Women’s Day.
- In Italy, the capital of Italy, it is customary to give flowers of mimosa (chimimui) to women on this day.
- In some countries, on International Women’s Day, children give gifts to their mothers.
- In many countries, on International Women’s Day, men also give gifts to their wives, friends, mothers and sisters.
