International Women’s Day 2022: Story, History, Significance, Importance

New Delhi: “I am woman phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that’s me.” – Maya Angelo

International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8, globally every year. As its name suggests, the day is dedicated to all the women around the world which is a simple reminder of the historic journey they have undertaken to make their lives better. Although a lot has been achieved, a lot more needs to be done for the improvement of women in the coming years.

Theme

UN Women decided the theme for International Women’s Day 2022 (IWD2022) as ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow.’ It aims to recognise the “contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all.”

Besides, internationalwomensday.com suggests the IWD 2022 campaign theme as ‘#BreakTheBias.’ It wishes to promote a “gender equal world,” which is free of “free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination”. “A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive”, and where “difference is valued and celebrated”.

History and Significance

International Women’s Day is celebrated for over a century now, however, many people assume it to be a celebration of feminism cause. Little did they know, that the IWD started since the labour movement and it was first organised in 1911 by the early 20th century Marxist from Germany Clara Zetkin.

Born in 1857 in Wiederau, Zetkin was trained as a teacher and was associated with the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which was regarded as one of the two major political parties in Germany. She participated both in labour as well as women’s movement.

Reportedly, in the 1880s, German leader Otto von Bismarck enforced anti-socialist laws which made Zetkin go into ‘self-imposed exile’ in Switzerland and France. She wrote and distributed literature that was forbidden back then and later met with leading socialists. Zetkin also played a significant role in the information of the Socialist International.

After returning to Germany, she became the editor of Die Gleichheit (‘Equality’) which was SPD’s newspaper for women, from 1892 to 1917. Besides, in SPD, Zetki was associated with the far-left thinker and revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg. In 1910, three years after she became the co-founder of the International Socialist Women’s Congress, she presented before a conference that Women’s Day to be celebrated every year across the world on February 28.

The conference comprised of 100 women from 17 other countries, with unions, socialist parties, working women’s clubs, and female legislators approved the suggestion and Women’s Day was observed for the first time in 1991.

However, the date was changed to March 8 and since then Women’s Day is celebrated on this date every year.