International Women’s Day Explored And Explained

On International Women’s Day, 8 March 2013, UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet stresses that discrimination and violence against women and girls have no place in the 21st century. “Enough is enough,” she says in a message of both outrage and hope that discrimination and violence must end. For more information on International Women’s Day, visit: http://www.unwomen.org/how-we-work/cs…

There is a war going on against women worldwide. There is a war against womens reproductive rights. There is a war against women becoming educated. There is a war against women having the right to vote. There is a war against women having the right to own property. There is a war against women having equal pay. There is a war against women working, much less holding positions of power.

There is a war against women’s bodies in the form of rape, domestic violence and mental abuse. There is a war against women through genital mutilation. There is a war against women through sexual slavery, and male domination. There is a religious war against women in many countries, by making them lesser than men, and subjecting them to discrimination and and many forms of imprisonment both mentally, socially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

International Women’s Day is about women winning the war in all of the above ways, and many more not mentioned.

International Women’s Day Poster

Poster for Women’s Day, March 8, 1914

According to Wikipedia; “International Women’s Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked on March 8 every year.[1] In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women’s economic, political and social achievements.

Started as a Socialist political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries, primarily Eastern Europe, Russia, and the former Soviet bloc. In some regions, the day lost its political flavor, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day.

In other regions, however, the political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.

History

The first national Women’s Day was observed on 28 February 1909 in the United States following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America.[2] In August 1910, an International Women’s Conference was organized to precede the general meeting of the Socialist Second International in Copenhagen.

Inspired in part by the American socialists, German Socialist Luise Zietz proposed the establishment of an annual ‘International Woman’s Day’ (singular) and was seconded by fellow socialist and later communist leader Clara Zetkin, although no date was specified at that conference.[3][4] Delegates (100 women from 17 countries) agreed with the idea as a strategy to promote equal rights, including suffrage, (voting rights) for women.[5]

The following year, on 18 March 1911, IWD was marked for the first time, by over a million people in Austria,Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. In the Austro-Hungarian Empire alone, there were 300 demonstrations.[3]

In Vienna, women paraded on the Ringstrasse and carried banners honouring the martyrs of the Paris Commune.[3] Women demanded that women be given the right to vote and to hold public office. They also protested against employment sex discrimination.[1] Americans continued to celebrate National Women’s Day on the last Sunday in February.[3]

Female members of the Australian Builders Labourers Federation march on International Women’s Day 1975 in Sydney

In 1913 Russian women observed their first International Women’s Day on the last Sunday in February (by Julian calendar then used in Russia). In 1917 demonstrations marking International Women’s Day in Saint Petersburg on the last Sunday in February (which fell on 8 March on the Gregorian calendar) initiated the February Revolution.[1]

Following the October Revolution, the Bolshevik Alexandra Kollontai persuaded Vladimir Lenin to make it an official holiday in the Soviet Union, and it was established, but was a working day until 1965.

On May 8, 1965 by the decree of the USSR Presidium of the Supreme Soviet International Women’s Day was declared a non-working day in the USSR “in commemoration of the outstanding merits of Soviet women in communistic construction, in the defense of their Fatherland during the Great Patriotic War, in their heroism and selflessness at the front and in the rear, and also marking the great contribution of women to strengthening friendship between peoples, and the struggle for peace. But still, women’s day must be celebrated as are other holidays.”

From its official adoption in Russia following the Soviet Revolution in 1917 the holiday was predominantly celebrated in communist and socialist countries. It was celebrated by the communists in China from 1922, and by Spanish communists from 1936.[6]

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949 the state council proclaimed on December 23 that March 8 would be made an official holiday with women in China given a half-day off,[7] though today’s young women in college or before motherhood are increasingly reluctant to celebrate it for the suggestion of the term ‘women’ of youth ended, prettiness lost, and relational liberty restricted.

In the West, International Women’s Day was first observed as a popular event after 1977 when the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for women’s rights and world peace.[8]

2010 International Women’s Day

On the occasion of 2010 International Women’s Day the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) drew attention to the hardship displaced women endure. The displacement of populations is one of the gravest consequences of today’s armed conflicts. It affects women in a host of ways.[9]

2011 International Women’s Day

U.S. Army officer Lt Col Pam Moody with a group of Afghan women on International Women’s Day 2011

Events took place in more than 100 countries[10] on March 8, 2011 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day.[11] In the United States, President Barack Obama proclaimed March 2011 to be “Women’s History Month”, calling Americans to mark IWD by reflecting on “the extraordinary accomplishments of women” in shaping the country’s history.[10]

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the “100 Women Initiative: Empowering Women and Girls through International Exchanges”, on the eve of IWD.[12] In the run-up to 2011 International Women’s Day, the ICRC called on States and other entities not to relent in their efforts to prevent rape and other forms of sexual violence that harm the lives and dignity of countless women in conflict zones around the world every year.[13]

In Pakistan, Punjab Govt. Project Gender Reform Action Plan, District Gujranwala celebrated this day in large scale in the Gift University Gujranwala. Mrs. Shazia Ashfaq Mattu, MPA and GRAP officer Mr. Dr. Yasir Nawaz Manj organized the events in very effective manners.

Australia issued a 100th anniversary commemorative coin.

2012 International Women’s Day

The UN theme for International Women’s Day 2012 was Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty.[14] In that year, Oxfam America invited people to celebrate inspiring women in their lives by sending a free International Women’s Day e-Card or honoring a woman whose efforts had made a difference in the fight against hunger and poverty with Oxfam’s International Women’s Day award.[15]

On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2012, the ICRC called for more action to help the mothers and wives of people who have gone missing during armed conflict. The vast majority of people who go missing in connection with conflict are men. As well as the anguish of not knowing what has happened to the missing person, many of these women face economic and practical difficulties. The ICRC underlined the duty of parties to a conflict to search for the missing and provide information for the families.[16]

The Google Doodle for March 8, 2012 had an International Women’s Day theme.

2013 International Women’s Day

The UN theme for International Women’s Day 2013 is “A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women,”[17] while International Women’s Day 2013 has declared the year’s theme as The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum.[18]

On 2013 International Women’s Day, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) draw attention to the plight of women in prison. All over the world, women and girls living behind bars often face particular hardship in terms of protection, privacy and access to basic services, including health care.[19]

2017 International Women’s Day

Ukrainian group Femen calling for a sex strike to protest against sexual exploitation of women.

2017 will be the hundredth anniversary of the Russian Revolution, which was sparked on March 8, 1917 by women protesting against bread shortages in St. Petersburg. These events culminated in the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II on March 15. Worldwide celebrations and re-enactments are scheduled to begin on March 8, 2017. Among the organisers is the Ukrainian women’s direct action group FEMEN, which aims “to shake women in Ukraine, making them socially active; to organize in 2017 a women’s revolution.”[20]

On this day a global women’s strike including a sex strike is planned, called by, among others, the International Union of Sex Workers.“
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Womens_Day

Women are fighting not only for their own rights and for children’s rights, but for a clean future, for seven future generations of all children globally. Women are fighting against the global corporate monopolies that abuse not only women, but also whole communities, and whole nations. For more information; see

Art And Science Of Deception; Global Corporations And The 1%
http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/p/corporations-art-and-science-of.html

Women will rule in the future. The outmoded ancient model of top down, male dominated, violent, left brain thinking, ego dominated, profit oriented Matrix is obsolete, genocidal, and suicide for the planet.

The feminine, intuitive, spiritual, empathic, love based, right side of the brain will rule in the future, or humanity may very well destroy itself with a left brain, male dominated focus.

WOMEN MUST RISE UP and speak with their hearts, as modern day Athenas battling for not just children, other women, but for countless future generations. Here is just one more example of how women are rising up and making a difference.