The history of International Women's Day on March 8: Why and how is it celebrated? Why is it celebrated on March 8?

Officially recognized by the United Nations in 1977, "International Women's Day" is celebrated every year on March 8 to support gender equality, strengthen women's social and political rights, and raise awareness on these issues.

HISTORY OF WOMEN'S DAY

The foundations of Women's Day date back to events that took place in the USA on March 8, 1857. 40 thousand female workers demanding better working conditions were locked in a textile factory by the police while on strike. More than 120 female workers lost their lives in the resulting fire.

Following this event, starting from March 8, 1908, many female workers in New York began organizing demonstrations with demands for the improvement of labor rights and the granting of voting rights to women.

Two years after these demonstrations began, at the "International Socialist Women's Conference" held in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, on August 26-27, 1910, German women's rights advocates Clara Zetkin and Kate Duncker proposed that March 8 be accepted as Women's Day in memory of the workers who lost their lives in 1857, and this proposal was accepted unanimously.

Women's Day was first celebrated with events held in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland on March 19, 1911.

International Women's Day, which began to be celebrated in more countries after the Second World War, was declared a public holiday in some countries after gaining official status by the United Nations.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY ON MARCH 8 IN TURKEY

In Turkey, International Women's Day on March 8 was first celebrated in 1921 under the name "Working Women's Day." Starting from 1975, celebrations spread to wider masses and moved from indoor spaces to the streets. In the same year, the "Turkey 1975 Women's Year" congress was held under the influence of the "United Nations Decade for Women" program, which included Turkey.

No celebrations were held for four years following the September 12, 1980 Military Coup. However, starting from 1984, International Women's Day continued to be celebrated regularly again under the leadership of women's organizations.