International Women's Day (or the UN International Day for Women's Rights and International Peace) is celebrated on March 8th.

In a number of countries, International Women's Day March 8 is a national holiday: in China, North Korea, Angola, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia and Uganda.

After the collapse of the USSR, some republics of the former Union continue to celebrate March 8, some hastened to get rid of the Soviet legacy. In Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Abkhazia, March 8 is still celebrated as International Women's Day.

In Tajikistan, on the initiative of the country's president, since 2009 the holiday began to be called Mother's Day. This day remains a non-working day in Tajikistan.

In Turkmenistan, International Women's Day was not celebrated until 2008 - the women's holiday was moved to March 21 (vernal equinox), combined with Navruz - the national spring holiday, and was called the National Spring and Women's Day. In January 2008, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov introduced changes to the Labor Code and

International Women's Day is a bright spring holiday that is celebrated annually on March 8 in many countries, including Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Cuba, China, Laos, etc. Every year on March 8, men congratulate all women - wives, mothers, daughters, grandmothers, sisters, girlfriends, colleagues - trying to fill their day with pleasant emotions, high spirits and vivid impressions. In some countries, the significance of International Women's Day is equal to Mother's Day, dedicated to all mothers.

The date of Women's Day is extremely suitable for this holiday: at the beginning of spring, nature awakens after winter sleep and the first flowers adorn the earth. But the origin of the date of the holiday is connected with its centuries-old history.

The history of the holiday

All Women's Day has been celebrated for more than a century. The first celebration of this occasion took place on February 28, 1909 in New York and was called “National Women's Day.” This event was organized by the American Socialist Party in honor of the rally on the same day in 1908 on the streets of New York of 15 thousand women who demanded improved working conditions and women's suffrage (i.e. to vote under the same conditions as men).

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In 1910, at the Copenhagen International Women's Conference, representatives of socialist forces proposed the founding of International Women's Day, dedicated to women's solidarity in the fight for their rights. This initiative was unanimously supported by more than a hundred women from 17 countries.

International Women's Day first took place on March 19, 1911 in Europe - Denmark, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Switzerland - where more than a million people took part in demonstrations. In 1913, the date of the holiday was moved to March 8, which has remained unchanged to this day.

Interesting fact: The women chose March 19 to celebrate Women's Day because on this day in 1848, the ruler of Prussia promised to introduce women's suffrage. This reform never took place.

In 1975, the United Nations focused attention on global women's issues by calling on states to hold an International Women's Year. And in 1977, the UN gave March 8 the name “International Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace,” as a result of which the holiday received international status.

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Women's Day in Russia

In Russia, International Women's Day became a mechanism of resistance to the First World War in 1913-1914. This holiday was first held on the last Sunday of the winter of 1913 in the context of a social movement for peace. The following year, women from European countries gathered in the streets to protest against the war situation and show solidarity with other activists.

This day is one of those holidays that everyone looks forward to: adults and children, men and women, boys and girls.

Some of them are preparing gifts, some are simply thinking about what to give to close women on March 8, and some can’t wait to hear warm words of congratulations. But everyone, without exception, considers this holiday the Day of spring, warmth, femininity and love.

However, over the course of a century since the inception of this holiday, it has caused a lot of controversy and criticism.

Perhaps a careful look at history will help us understand the reasons for this attitude towards this holiday. Origin of the holiday March 8 Not everyone knows where March 8 came from. This holiday arose in connection with the struggle of women for their rights. Representatives of shoe, textile and clothing factories in New York gathered for the first time to protest on March 8th. And this happened in 1857, when the working conditions of women were extremely difficult: they worked for 16 hours, while hard work was valued very low - women received only a portion of the amount that men were entitled to for the same work. That is why the main demands of female workers were that the working day (with the most difficult conditions) last no more than 10 hours, and that the wages be the same as for men.

Numerous demonstrations led to some demands being met, including the introduction of a shorter working day. In those years, trade unions were formed everywhere in the United States.

One of the consequences of the demonstrations that took place on March 8, 1857, was the formation of a trade union, whose members were exclusively women. In addition, from this moment on, women began to demand that they be given voting rights. More than 60 years passed before Clara Zetkin, at the 2nd International Conference of Socialist Women, proposed celebrating March 8th as Women's Day at the international level. At that time, he was associated with the struggle of women for their equality. Clara Zetkin's call led to the fact that in many countries women began to fight against a miserable existence. They defended the right to work and decent pay. Since 1911, March 8 has been celebrated in Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Today, March 8 is no longer perceived as a political holiday.

And in every country everyone is waiting for this holiday to tell their caring mothers, younger and older sisters, beloved spouses, and respected colleagues about their feelings.

Fashionable look for March 8 March 8 is the most spring holiday and a great reason to dress up. On a special day, you can dress in floral print from head to toe. Choose feminine silhouettes and bright shades, and then your spring mood will definitely spread to everyone around you.

March 8 is a wonderful women's holiday. On this day, all men admire the beauty of women, showing their love and sincere feelings. Every girl on this day waits for signs of attention. Traditionally, men give flowers and gifts on this day. By the way, here are the ones that every woman will be happy with.

Despite the fact that the holiday is official, it is very tender and reverent. Every woman is waiting for its arrival. But most people have forgotten the original political connotations of this date. Now the eighth of March is associated with the holiday of spring and beauty. Previously, it was a day of struggle for gender equality in various fields of activity. It was achieved by female revolutionaries, defending gender equality.

Over time, the political overtones of the holiday were erased. Nowadays, March 8 is a joyful spring holiday. A day when you can thank the fair sex for inspiring and delighting them, giving them flowers, gifts and beautiful things. But in some countries, feminists organize mass actions to fight against representatives of the stronger sex.

In 1857, New York women, workers in clothing factories, went out to protest. It was just March 8th. They were not satisfied with the inhumane working conditions and low wages. They were forced to go to work 16 hours a day, and received pennies for their efforts. The women were quickly dispersed by the police. But they did not calm down and decided to form a trade union to protect their interests.

In 1901, American housewives also decided to remind themselves of their rights. They made an original statement by taking to the streets of Chicago with overturned pots and basins. With loud drumming, they demanded equal political rights, allowing them to work with men and serve in the army.

In 1908, on the same day, there was another demonstration on a national scale in America. Women asked to reduce working hours, increase wages, and prohibit children from working. They also wanted to take part in the elections. They were heard and they had to work not 16 hours, but 10. A national holiday also appeared, which was usually celebrated on the last winter Sunday. This decision was made by the Socialist Party. And in America this tradition has been preserved for four years.

Many people associate World Women's Day with Clara Zetkin, who represented the German and international labor movement. Most people are unfamiliar with this name. Some believe that she was not interested in anything in life except politics. But this is absolutely not true. She was not only a politician, the creator of a revolutionary detachment, but also an interesting and attractive woman.

The girl grew up in a teacher's family and followed in the footsteps of her parents, receiving a pedagogical education. During my student years, I attended political circles. It was here that Clara met her future husband Osip. The young couple was forced to leave Germany for Paris due to the unreliability of their husband. In France, Clara and Osip formalized their relationship and continued their revolutionary activities. Their mentor was Laura Lafargue, daughter of Karl Marx.

The life of the couple in Paris was not easy; they existed thanks to odd jobs. After the death of her husband, Clara Zetkin returned to Germany and joined the ranks of the left Social Democrats along with Rosa Luxemburg.

The decision to create an international holiday arose during a period of unstable times and radical ideologies.
An international conference was held in Copenhagen in 1910, in which socialist organizations from all over the world took part. One of the activists and conference participants, Clara Zetkin, came up with a proposal to create an international holiday for the protection of women's rights, timed to coincide with the day of the women's tailors' strike. Her proposal was approved.

The conference participants chose a day to honor the movement that defends women's rights. For the first time they had the right to vote. Women's Day was created to draw attention to issues of social and economic equality. On March 8, the female proletariat was born. It was a day of fighting poverty and discrimination of rights. The date of the holiday has not been confirmed.

At first, Elena Grinberg proposed the date of March 19 for celebrating Women's Day. Several countries supported this idea. Among them were Germany, Austria, Denmark and Switzerland. In 1912, the holiday was moved to May 12. A year later, the dates of celebration in all countries were different. And only in 1914 a common date was established and fixed - March 8.

There is another version of the origin of International Women's Day. Some people believe that Clara Zetkin decided to link the tailor protests with the Jewish people. There is a legend that the beloved of the Persian king saved the Jewish people. Esther bewitched Xerxes and protected the Jews from extermination. According to legend, this was on the 13th day of Adar. From this moment the holiday of Purim appeared. The date of celebration according to the Jewish religious calendar is sliding. But in 1910, Purim was celebrated on March 8th.

Russia celebrated the Day of All Women for the first time in 1913 in St. Petersburg. On this day, representatives of the fair sex wanted to raise several serious issues and sent a petition to the mayor. He allowed the meeting to take place on March 2. 1500 people came to the meeting. It addressed issues of suffrage, maternity care, and high costs.

In the USSR, March 8 became a red day on the calendar in 1966. Women's Day was declared a non-working day. A distinctive feature of this day was the official festive ritual. Business leaders reported on their performance for the benefit of women.

The period of perestroika was not easy for women. Their discrimination in the labor market was officially recognized. In 1995, at a conference in Beijing, the Russian Government decided to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women. A year later, documents were signed to improve the situation of the beautiful ladies of Russia. But there were no reports on the implementation of the measures taken.

Now March 8 remains a women's holiday in thirty countries. And if you still haven’t decided on a gift, then here are some recommendations for making her happy.

DAY AFTER TOMORROW Not only Russia, but the whole world will celebrate International Women's Day. The celebration of March 8 in modern Russia is associated primarily with an extra day off and obligatory flowers and gifts for women, while the original political and social meanings of the date remain almost unnoticed. However, it was not always like this. Let's figure out how International Women's Day came about, why today March 8 is perceived differently than a hundred years ago, and how you can celebrate it.

Daria Tatarkova

Has March 8 always happened?
"women's holiday"?

Yes and no. The two main gender-specific holidays were inherited from Soviet times in modern Russia. February 23 and March 8 were not as clear-cut at the time of their occurrence. It was invented to celebrate the 23rd in 1922 as the Day of the Red Army and Navy; over time, the name was changed twice, and those celebrating quite deviated from the essence. Instead of honoring military personnel, February 23rd gradually became a day celebrating all men and the idea of ​​masculinity. March 8 has a similar fate. Invented as a symbol of the struggle for gender equality and respect for women’s work, the holiday became just an excuse to give a woman a gift one more time a year, except for her birthday. In modern folklore, the essence of International Women’s Day is fully expressed by the phrase “be silent, woman, your day is March 8” (3 million results in the Yandex search), and the most popular joke on VKontakte about the holiday remains, for example, this video.

How it appeared
International Women's Day?

The date was invented by the socialist movement. In February 1909, women in New York took to the streets to demand equal pay and women's right to vote - amazingly, a century later, the issue of wages remains open. German socialists and the notorious communist Clara Zetkin, together with Rosa Luxemburg, agreed at the Women's Conference next year that a holiday was needed that would promote equal rights for women, including suffragist ideas.

The celebration reached Russia in 1913. Women's Day was not at all as peaceful as it is now, but was accompanied by rallies and demonstrations. Thus, on February 23, 1917, according to the old style (that is, March 8, according to the new style), a strike of textile workers and a subsequent organized march demanding equal rights for women became one of the triggers for a further wave of protests that led to the February Revolution. Coinciding in date with one of the most important turning points in the history of Russia, the holiday as a tradition became stronger in the USSR. Until about the 70s, March 8 was primarily associated with the participants of the revolution and their successful struggle for women's independence. One way or another, the history of the holiday in the West and in Russia shows that, first of all, it was invented as a tool for emancipation and popularization of respect for women.

Why is it customary to give gifts on this day in Russia?
and not strike for equal pay?

History is silent about when and why processions and demonstrations were replaced by the current candy and bouquet tradition of celebrating March 8th. Some authors believe that the reason for this was the conscious and consistent policy of the Soviet leadership. Already in the 30s, the much-needed women's departments involved in agitation, education, assistance and the fight for women's rights were abolished. Thus, women lost the social elevator, and did not reach new heights in equality. Subsequent women's organizations were largely nominal in nature. Gradually, the revolutionary theme disappeared even from postcards, and the emphasis shifted to glorifying female beauty and motherhood, making the holiday more similar to Mother’s Day in other countries.

In 1966, under Brezhnev, March 8 became a day off, so the active idea of ​​the date finally died out. Today, the holiday has finally turned into a day of following stereotypes about women. This is noticeable both in traditional gifts and in the description of International Women’s Day on the Russian-language Internet. According to Levada Center, the most popular in Russia

Gifts for March 8th include flowers and sweets, as well as perfumes and cosmetics. According to VTsIOM, only 5% associate the holiday with emancipation. On the one hand, this survey shows a positive trend in relation to equality - the number of people who believe that women deserve the same privileges as men has increased by 1.5 times. On the other hand, every fifth respondent still considers men much more capable than women. The gender of the survey participants was not indicated.

Where else is March 8 celebrated?

International Women's Day is recognized as an official holiday not only in Russia, North Korea and China, but also, for example, in Burkina Faso. In the rest of the world, March 8 is not considered a public holiday, but every year it is gaining more and more popularity, while maintaining a feminist slant. The main popularizer of the date today is the UN. In 1977, the United Nations invited member countries to choose any day to celebrate the ideas of women's equality and world peace, which became March 8.

Countries that support the UN primarily use the holiday as an occasion to raise social issues important to women. From year to year, the UN chooses a priority topic on which efforts will be directed. In 2013 it was opposition to violence against women, last year it was “Equality for women - progress for all.” In 2015 - “Inspiring Women - Inspiring Humanity.” The symbol of the holiday is a purple ribbon.

As noted
March 8th this year?

This year's theme comes with the hashtag #MakeItHappen. In Afghanistan, men donned burkas and protested to support women's rights. In India, March 8 this year has become a date against which women continue to demand justice for victims of violence who are not protected by either the law or society. Many publications focus on remembering the origins of the date and suggest commemorating it not with flowers, but with a call to action and drawing attention to, for example, key health issues and courageous feminists in world history. Forbes explains the real pay gap between men and women and gives advice on how each can improve the situation. Among other things
The #UpForSchool petition will launch on March 8th, aiming to pressure world leaders to educate 31 million boys and girls around the world.

Today, the Internet plays a key role in making International Women's Day part of the world's popular culture. Since 2000, the number of Google searches for the format “International Women's Day + current year” has increased from 49 million to 196 - that is, 4 times. Specifically in 2015, on the eve of the holiday, a hashtag appeared #DearMe, under which video bloggers send encouraging messages to their teenage selves from the past. This perhaps naive approach found a huge response from the audience, and girls from all over the world wrote grateful comments for moral support. The hashtag became number one on the service. Many YouTubers simply focus on gender role themed videos, like Kristen from Stuff Mom Never Told You. Be sure to check it out sketch about “gender rolls” - behind the funny play on words there is a clear and relevant message that it is time to stop imposing behavior patterns on us depending on our biological sex. The matter, of course, is not limited to social networks. Internet darling and UN Women's Rights Envoy Emma Watson, for example, will host a Q&A on International Women's Day and answer all viewers' questions about sexism and inequality. By the way, this is a great way to celebrate.

Women, therefore, have
meaningful holiday,
But what about men?

What other days are they celebrated?
important events for women?

The UN actively promotes March 8th as a universal date, but there are several other major holidays. One of them is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It is celebrated on November 25 to honor the memory of the Mirabal sisters who were killed in the Dominican Republic. Violence against women is still an incredibly common problem that is often not brought to justice. On this day, countries are encouraged to hold events that increase publicity about the problem and talk about ways to solve it.

October 15 marks the International Day of Rural Women, whose rights are sometimes given very little attention. In South Africa, they celebrate Women's Day on August 9, and at the state level. The date is intended to commemorate the struggle of local activists against the tyranny of the apartheid-era government. Thus, on August 9, 1956, they prevented the introduction of compulsory passporting for South African women.