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International Women's Day Wikipedia

International Women's Day, or International Woman's Day (IWD), is marked on 8 March every year. It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women. Among other relevant historic events, it commemorates the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire (New York, 1911), where over 140 women lost their lives.

The idea of having an international women's day was first put forward at the turn of the 20th century amid rapid world industrialization and economic expansion that led to protests over working conditions. Women from clothing and textile factories staged one such protest on 8 March 1857 in New York, New York|New York City. The garment workers were protesting what they saw as very poor working conditions and low wages. The protesters were attacked and dispersed by police. These women established their first labor union in the same month two years later.

More protests followed on 8 March in subsequent years, most notably in 1908 when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. Even so, the first IWD was observed on 28 February 1909 in the United States following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. In 1910 the first international women's conference was held in Copenhagen by the Socialist International and an 'International Women's Day' was established. The following year, IWD was marked by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. However, soon thereafter, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City killed over 140 garment workers. A lack of safety measures was blamed for the high death toll. Furthermore, on the eve of World War I, women across Europe held peace rallies on 8 March 1913.

Demonstrations marking International Women's Day in Russia proved to be the first stage of the Russian Revolution of 1917. Following the October Revolution, the Bolshevik feminist Alexandra Kollontai persuaded Lenin to make it an holiday|official holiday, and during the Soviet period it continued to celebrate "the heroic woman worker". However, the holiday quickly lost its political flavour and became an occasion for men to express their sympathy or love to the women around them - somewhat similar to Western Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day mixed together. The day remains an official holiday in Russia (as well as in Belarus, Republic of Macedonia|Macedonia, Moldova, and Ukraine), and is observed by men congratulating women (any woman) and giving them flowers and gifts. When Czechoslovakia was part of the Soviet Block this celebration was supported officially and gradually turned into parody - see MDZ (International Women's Day in Czechoslovakia, 1948 - 1989)|MDŽ.

In the West, International Women's Day was commemorated during the 1910s and 1920s, but dwindled. It was revived by the rise of feminism in the 1960s. In 1975, the United Nations began sponsoring International Women's Day.

Last Modified:   2005-12-19