On March 8th every year, the world celebrates International Women’s Day. We come together on this day to celebrate women and all our amazing contributions to society, business, activism, and more. Because what would the world be without women holding it together?
To celebrate, we want to reflect on how International Women’s Day came to be and what it means to women around the world. As a female-founded company, we would not be where we are today if not for the trailblazing women who paved the way for female entrepreneurs to succeed in male-dominated industries like technology and science.
International Women’s Day unofficially began on February 29th 1908. On this day, 15,000 garment workers took to the streets of New York to demand better pay, working conditions, and voting rights. This anecdote has been disputed by some historians. In 1910, the Socialist International group met in Copenhagen and established a global Women’s Day to honour women’s rights and suffrage. This was unanimously approved by the over 100 women attending the conference. Over the next few years, it became a day for women and allies to rally together. During World War I, women gathered to protest the war and advocate for peace.
In 1975, the UN declared March 8th as the official International Women’s Day. This was inspired by the events of March 8th, 1917, when women in Russia protested the war effort. Four days later when the Czar abdicated, the provisional government granted women the right to vote.
We hope giving you a little bit of history inspires you to fight for your sisters everywhere and always advocate for yourself. Your voice matters! Women have proven time and time again that when we rally together and collaborate, we can create significant change in the world. Sometimes it may feel hopeless. Just remember that women protested and fought for 72 years before we gained the right to vote in 1920. The Civil Rights movement of the 1960s was championed by many brave, important women. Women like Ruby Bridges, who at six years old was the first African-American child to attend an all-white school in New Orleans. She endured constant brutal racism and pushback from the community and yet she prevailed. This was not more than 60 years ago. Tarana Burke began using the phrase “Me Too” in 2006 to highlight how common sexual assault is among women. The movement has since taken off in the past couple of years. Women have shown the world that we will not stay silent and tolerate abuse. Her bravery and the bravery of so many survivors sharing their stories means fewer women will grow up experiencing sexual assault and harassment.
There is still much progress to be made. Women are still left behind, are earning less money, have far fewer seats at the table and less opportunity. But we will continue to fight and surmount any barriers.
IWD: History Lesson from Think Dirty was originally published in Think Dirty on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.