International Women’s Day has been around for over a century and belongs to all who care about women’s equality
International Women’s Day takes place tomorrow and serves as a crucial reminder of the significant contributions women have made to society, culture, and history.
The focus is on celebrating these achievements while striving towards a world of gender equality. In the UK today, an “epidemic of violence against women and girls” is getting worse, according to a damning Whitehall report.
In Scotland, domestic abuse crimes have upped by 11 per cent, according to Police Scotland, with Scottish Government figures showing that 81 per cent of recorded incidents involved a male perpetrator and female victim.
In April 2024, the UK gender pay gap meant women, on average, earned less than seven per cent than men per hour, as per Office for National Statistics. International Women’s Day is arguably needed now more than ever.
But what is the significance of this day, and why does it matter? Here’s what to know ahead of the occasion, which gets underway on Saturday, March 8.
History of International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day has its roots in the labour movement, with its origins traced back to 1908. That year, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter working hours, better pay, and the right to vote.
Just a year later, the Socialist Party of America declared the first National Woman’s Day. Women continued to celebrate NWD on the last Sunday of February until 1913. However, it was Clara Zetkin, a communist activist and women’s rights advocate, who proposed making it an international event.
In 1910, she raised the idea at the International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen, where it was met with unanimous support from the 100 women representing 17 countries.
The first International Women’s Day was celebrated in 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. In 1914, women across Europe held rallies to campaign against the war and to express women’s solidarity. That year, Sylvia Pankhurst was arrested on her way to speak in Trafalgar Square as part of the women’s suffrage march in London.
The United Nations (UN) began officially recognising the event in 1975, with its first theme, introduced in 1996, titled ‘Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future’.
Zetkin’s original vision for an international celebration of women wasn’t tied to a specific date. However, March 8 was later chosen after a powerful moment in history took place in Russia.
In 1917, Russian women staged a strike demanding “bread and peace”, which led to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, an emperor, just four days later. The provisional government then granted women the right to vote.
Due to Russia’s use of the Julian calendar at the time, the strike began on February 23, which corresponds to March 8 in the Gregorian calendar – hence why International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated worldwide on this date.
However, the turn of the Millennium brought a slump to celebrations. Feminism wasn’t a popular topic, gender parity had still not been achieved, and many countries were not celebrating International Women’s Day anymore.
Something was needed to re-ignite the spark. Women got to work and the following year, the official IWD website was launched to expand the reach of women’s achievements and provide crucial guidance and resources.
It was 2011 that saw the 100 year centenary of International Women’s Day. Then US President Barack Obama proclaimed March to be Women’s History Month. In the UK, Scottish music icon Annie Lennox lead a march across London Bridge for global charity Women for Women International.
Many other celebrities turned up to show their support for the day. IWD was finally starting to become more mainstream and inclusive, with groups everywhere participating.
This continues in 2025 where IWD is a national holiday in many countries. Speaking exclusively to Glamour UK this week, Lennox insisted that “by supporting feminist movements, we can bring about change and progress”.
On the current state of affairs for women around the world, the 70-year-old, who hails from Aberdeen, said: “Bearing in mind that no country has ever achieved gender equality, we still have a very long way to go.
“Surrounded by so many appalling headlines and deeply disturbing stories, it might feel easier to simply switch off and ignore everything that’s taking place… [but] we can find strength and inspiration from each other in order to channel our energy towards positivity and resilience”.
The Sweet Dreams singer added: “It’s never been so vital.”
