While there should not just be one day to celebrate, honour and respect womanhood, International Women's Day is celebrated annually on March 8 across the world to thank women for their valuable contribution in making this world a better place to live.
International Women's Day is a day dedicated to appreciate women in your lives. It is a celebration of the power of women and their achievements.
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The day not only brings an opportunity to look back on progress made by women in all walks of life, but it also calls for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by women and girls around the globe who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.
The day is a focal point in the movement for women's rights. It serves as a reminder for people to stand up for the equality and freedom of women.
Every year, the day is marked with grands events, celebrations and campaigns across the globe however this year’s International Women’s Day is slightly different owing to the Coronavirus pandemic. Large gatherings have been avoided in order to curb the spread of the novel COVID-19 virus.
International Women's Day History:
International Women's Day (IWD) has been observed since the early 1900's when oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change.
In 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. This triggered the first women's movement. After months of protest, the first National Woman's Day (NWD) was observed across the United States on February 28. It
International Women’s Day Significance:
The Women's Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. It is one of the most important days of the year to celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness about women's equality, lobby for accelerated gender parity and fundraise for female-focused charities.
International Women’s Day 2021 Theme:
The theme of this year's International Women’s Day is ‘Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.’
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Achim Steiner in a statement said, "As countries and communities start to slowly recover from a devastating pandemic, we have the chance to finally end the exclusion and marginalization of women and girls. But to do that, we need immediate action. Women must have the opportunity to play a full role in shaping the pivotal decisions being made right now as countries respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic."
"This year’s International Women’s Day is a rallying cry for Generation Equality. It is time to finally fully harness the power of women’s leadership to realise a more equal, more inclusive and more sustainable future," the official added.
International Women's Day Colours
Some specific colours observed highly on the occasion of International Women's Day are Purple, green and white where Purple signifies justice and dignity, Green symbolizes hope and White represents purity.