Happy International Women’s Day! The global holiday celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women around the world. International Women’s Day (IWD) has been celebrated for the past 110 years, honoring the advancement of the women’s rights movement, while seeking a more just future.
In honor of the special occasion, here are five facts you may not know about the March 8 event.
1. It all started in 1911
Russian women on International Women’s Day in 1925.
(Hulton-Deutsch / Corbis Collection via Getty Images)
The first IWD was held in 1911, celebrated in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on March 19 by more than 1 million people. Official events at the inaugural celebration defended women’s rights to vote, work and hold public office, while denouncing discrimination, reports the organization.
Tragically, less than a week later, the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory claimed the lives of more than 140 workers in New York City. The disaster increased awareness of labor laws in the United States and unfair working conditions, further fueling the IWD’s mission in the years that followed.
MATTEL LAUNCHES ELEANOR ROOSEVELT BARBIE DOLL BEFORE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
Members of the National Women’s Liberation Movement participate in a march for equal rights in London to mark International Women’s Day in March 1971.
(Daily Express / Hulton Archive / Getty Images)
In 1913, the date of the IWD was changed to March 8, a day that has been celebrated worldwide since then.
2. International Women’s Day is not specific to a group or organization
The international crusade is not exclusively organized or operated by any government, charity, corporation, NGO, academic institution, network or media group. Instead, the IWD marks an inclusive drive for action and advocacy, “whatever it sounds like globally at the local level.”
3. Purple is the signature color of the day
Protesters hold up a banner and posters during a rally that marks International Women’s Day on Istanbul’s Istiklal Avenue on March 8, 2019.
(YASIN AKGUL / AFP via Getty Images)
According to the IWD, purple symbolizes justice and dignity. A combination of shades of purple, green and white has historically represented pressure for women’s equality, going back to the Social and Political Union of Women in the UK around 1908. While green meant the virtue of hope, white connoted “purity” .
Today, the color white is no longer used, as the notion of “purity” is controversial, said the IWD.
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4. It is celebrated in many ways
A Bundeswehr soldier delivers a carnation to a passerby in front of the Brandenburg Gate on International Women’s Day on March 8, 2019 in Berlin, Germany.
(Carsten Koall / Getty Images)
Around the world, the training day is celebrated with marches, rallies, lectures, conferences and presentations, among other traditions. In the USA, the holiday is a highlight of Women’s History Month, which was officially designated by Congress in 1987.
According to the BBC, some women in China receive half a day’s work on March 8, while the exchange of flowers – mainly mimosa flowers – is popular in Russia and Rome, Italy.
5. The 2021 theme is #ChooseToChallenge
A woman holds a banner during a demonstration to mark International Women’s Day at Union Square on March 8, 2019.
(Maite H. Mateo / VIEWpress / Corbis via Getty Images)
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The theme #ChooseToChallenge asks to speak out against prejudice and gender inequality and supports the defense of inclusion.
“A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we are all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day,” says IWD of this year’s inspiration. “We can all choose to pursue and celebrate the achievements of women. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.”