International Women's Day 2022: From History, Theme To Significance Of The Day — All You Need To know

 Encouraging people to commit for forging an inclusive world, the campaign theme for International Women's Day 2022 is #BreakTheBias

International Women's Day 2022 | Getty Images

New Delhi: International Women's Day will be celebrated across the world on Tuesday, March 8, to mark the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. 

History Of International Women's Day

For the first time, International Women's Day was celebrated in 1911. It is that time when the West witnessed great turbulence in the industrialised world paving way to population growth and the rise of various ideologies.

In 1908, the mounting oppression and inequality against women forced them to come ahead and press for campaigns calling for change. It is when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay, and voting rights, according to the website International Women's Day.

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A year after in line with the declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman's Day (NWD) was observed across the US on February 28. Women championed their cause and celebrated NWD every last Sunday of February until 1913.

In 1910, a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. It is when a woman named Clara Zetkin initiated the idea of International Women's Day.

A proposal was shared to commemorate Women's Day - to press for their demands. The conference witnessed a presence of more than 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working women's clubs including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament.  All of them unanimously approved Zetkin's idea which led to International Women's Day becoming the norm.

Soon after the grand decision at Copenhagen in Denmark in 1911, International Women's Day was honoured for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. It was celebrated for the first time by the United Nations in 1975.

The UN announced its first annual theme "Celebrating the past, Planning for the Future in 1996, according to the website.

What colours symbolise International Women's Day?

Purple, green, and white are the colors of International Women's Day. Purple signifies justice and dignity. Green symbolizes hope. White represents purity, albeit a controversial concept. These colors found their way from the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in the UK in 1908.

What’s the theme for Women’s Day this year?

“Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow” is the theme for this year’s celebration.

“The year 2022 is pivotal for achieving gender equality in the context of climate change and environmental and disaster risk reduction, which are some of the greatest global challenges of the twenty-first century,” UN Women said in a statement.

“Without gender equality today a sustainable future and an equal future remains beyond our reach,” the statement added. The campaign theme for International Women's Day 2022 is #BreakTheBias, according to the website.

 Encouraging people to commit to helping forge an inclusive world, the website mentions whether deliberate or unconscious, the bias makes it difficult for women to move ahead. Knowing that bias exists isn’t enough, action is needed to level the playing field.