March 8: International Women's Day

The 8th of March is the International Women's Day (IWD) - a day celebrated by women's groups all over the world and an occasion for everyone to reflect on women's conditions and struggle for equality world-wide.

In 1977, The United Nations General Assembly called on all states to dedicate one day of the year as United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace. The aim was to encourage governments and policy-makers to create the necessary conditions for the promotion of the full and equal participation of women in social development and the elimination of discrimination against women. Prior to this action, the decade 1976-1985 was proclaimed The United Nations Decade for Women, and the year of 1975 was adopted the International Women's year.

The observance of a "Women's Day" stems back at least nine decades. Already at the turn of the century, a National Women's Day was observed in the United States on the last Sunday in February. In 1910, a Women's Day of a more international character was established on the Socialist International Meeting in Copenhagen as a way of honouring the movement for women's rights.

The following year, an International Women's Day was observed for the first time in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Denmark where more than one million men and women rallied in a joint demand of women's right to hold public office, to work and vote. Subsequently, the International Women's day became a world-wide event, marked as a national holiday in many countries.

This year, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) arranges a discussion session in London on the 7th of March (official observance March 8) titled "Turning the Tide - women stemming the flow of HIV/AIDS".

Click here for more information on the United Nations International Women's Day.

Click here for information on the activities of last year's International Women's Day.

Click here for a general overview of United Nations special days and events in 2003.