International women’s day 2023
It’s officially Women’s History Month! With this month’s observance of the impact women have across the world, International Women’s Day emerges as a day to bring attention the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of all women globally.
Today and always, we celebrate the incredible strides that women have made throughout history while also recognizing that there is still so much work to be done in the fight for gender equality worldwide.
Beyond #InternationalWomensDay, FEMINIST is here to recognize women’s achievements while continuing to amplify all women and gender expansive people year-round. 💕
The history behind international women’s day...
In the 1900s, women around the world actively campaigned for change against oppression and inequality. Specifically, in 1908, over 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours better pay, and voting rights in an increasingly industrialized economy.
In November 1909, 23-year-old Ukrainian immigrant Clara Lemlich addressed hundreds of garment workers. A local chapter of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union had organized the meeting to discuss an industry-wide strike (illegal at the time) against low pay, long hours, and unsafe working conditions. "I have no further patience for talk," declared Lemlich. "I offer a resolution that a general strike be declared now."
The following day, over 20,000 factory workers protested on the streets of New York City. According to the Jewish Women's Archive, approximately 70% of the strikers were women, and a majority of those women were Yiddish-speaking immigrants.
The women's rights activist Clara Zetkin, who was the leader of the ‘Women’s Office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany at the time, proposed that there should be a Women's Day on the same day every year in every country. She advocated making it a global event during the second International Conference of Working Women in 1910.
The day was later adopted by the socialist movement and some communist countries and was later adopted by the feminist movement in 1967. In 1977, the United Nations formally recognized and celebrated the event.
International women’s day today
Every year on March 8, the day ranges from being a public holiday in some countries to being largely ignored elsewhere. For some, it is a day of protest, while for others, it is a day that celebrates women around the world.
It’s important to keep International Women’s Day intersectional, as it has been critiqued for its exclusion of transgender people, gender non-binary folks, and people of color.
How can i celebrate international women’s day?
This year, you can celebrate IWD with us in 4 ways:
1. Uplift ALL women in your life and around the world.
2. Read, Listen, Watch! Read our zine or check out our booklist to learn more about intersectional feminism from today’s leading change-makers.
3. Celebrate Feminist Wins! Recognize all women’s successes and impacts in news, politics, media, and more.
4. Protest! Join an IWD protest with your comrades around the world on 8M, known in South America as a day of action against violence towards women.
What are we fighting for in 2023?
We're proud to fight for intersectional feminist issues all year, and we're just getting started.
At FEMINIST, we strive to create a safe space for feminists of all backgrounds to connect, share their stories, and work toward change. We welcome BIPOC, women, LGBTQIA+, Trans, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming individuals from around the world to join us in this mission.
8M, Mexico City 2020 by Luar Klinghofer Bar Dov @filmluar
We're proud to Amplify intersectional feminist issues 365 days a year 24/7 →
We’re still advocating for reproductive freedom and trans rights in the US.
We won’t stop amplifying the fight for women and girls in Afghanistan seeking higher level education.
We’ll continue to support Ukraine, a fight for sovereignty costing the lives of many women and children.
We’ll shout #WomenLifeFreedom for the young women who are being poisoned while fighting for their freedom.
We’ll stand up for climate action for women & girls around the world who are facing a compounding climate crisis.
We’ll continue to center the most marginalized, including Black, Trans, and queer feminists in our advocacy.
