International Women’s Day is a day meant for empowering not only women but all genders about the importance of equality. Held on March 8th every year during Women’s History Month, this day serves its purpose in all communities across the world.

This holiday was made official in 1975 in honour of women who held a war strike against the Czar in 1917. They demanded peace and got it after four days. The first day of this protest was on March 8th. The colors associated with IWD are purple, representing justice and dignity, green for hope and white for purity. (And of course, purity is interpreted however the individual womxn desires.)

But what exactly happens on International Women’s Day? According to the official website, there are several events in several cities registered in different countries across the world. And of course, there are no doubt other events which are not officially recognised by the IWD website. But for the most part, I along with many people I know, have not been aware of too many of these events. Most of what I see regarding IWD are social media posts celebrating the day and bringing awareness to it, but it seems like the general public may need to be made more aware of how to become involved.

In The States, where this author is from, we get the day off for Presidents’ day as well as various other days that honour figures said to help better our country. For many people, this is just another three day weekend, and in some cases rightfully so, but would giving everyone the day off for IWD create more or less awareness that we need to acknowledge the struggles women go through due to inequality?

Maybe. Or, International Women’s Day could be used for something a little bit more educational on a larger level. Not only is very little known about the origins, but it also seems that there is a lack of awareness about where events are hosted. It could be a good idea to have more lectures available to the public. Or, more information regarding the whereabouts of these lectures and other public IWD activities.

When I was in elementary school we of course had the day off for Martin Luther King Day, but leading up to this we would do specific projects to honour Martin Luther King Jr.’s work. And, if children are taught about IWD from a young age and made fully aware of its significance, this could be a huge step in the right direction for ending sexism.

There are many people who feel that in order to have true equality there should be a day called International Men’s Day. And, there is. Every year on November 19th, International Men’s Day is recognised. But honestly, this is different from IWD. The point in celebrating IWD is to celebrate what womxn have accomplished and overcome as life has been made more difficult due to gender differences. It’s not that men do not struggle with emotional issues, relationship and family problems, finding a job, or any other number of problems that womxn have, but their lives are not made difficult in these areas because of their sexes or gender. This is also a large part of what feminism really is: creating equality.

International Women’s Day deserves a lot more support than it has previously gotten in order to be an effective day honoring equality. One way that you can get involved in this is by helping spread information about local events available in your area for March 8th, 2023. Or, perhaps talking to your place of work about having some kind of event in acknowledgment of IWD, even if it only takes thirty minutes out of the work day.

Womxn’s rights are extremely important, and how we approach this issue as a society is what will determine the efficacy of International Women’s Day and gender related change. City Girl Network is a great place to look into various female-led and oriented events not only during Women’s History Month but all year round.

Written by Katie Coughlin
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