Women are who keep the world running. They not only play crucial roles in their daily life, such as a caring mother, daughter, sister, or wife, but they help shape societies and economies in many ways. International Women’s Day is observed annually on 8th March to salute all the women around the globe to celebrate their achievements in all fields, be it social, economic, cultural, or political.
Happy International Women’s Day to you all! Do you know about this occasion? How did it start? This blog will explore the International Women’s Day theme 2023, its history, how it’s celebrated worldwide, and more.
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International Women’s Day History
Women’s Day has been celebrated since the 1900s when more than 15,000 women in New York City marched through the streets demanding better work conditions, shorter hours, and voting rights. The following year, the USA celebrated its first National Women’s Day on 28th February.
Clara Zetkin, in 1910, proposed the idea of celebrating International Women’s Day, to be celebrated on the same day in all countries. This idea was proposed at an International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen. All the conference members, more than 100 women from 17 countries, unanimously approved celebrating International Women’s Day. The day was celebrated on March 19th in Austria, Denmark, Switzerland and Germany. International Women’s Day became official when the UN recognized it and has been celebrated annually on 8th March.
Why is Women’s Day Celebrated?
International Women’s Day is celebrated to salute all the strong and inspiring women in our lives. The day is celebrated to raise women’s ongoing struggles and challenges. Women’s Day is also celebrated around the world to praise ladies for their contributions in various fields, such as economic, political, or cultural. It’s also a day that raises awareness of gender equality and equal rights for women.
International Women’s Day Theme 2023
The theme of International Women’s Day 2023 is #EmbraceEquity. Equity and equality are often used interchangeably, but these words have different meanings. Equality means treating all genders equally and providing both women and men with the same resources and opportunities for growth. On the other hand, gender equity means fair or equal. It means that every person is not the same and has different circumstances. Allocating the exact resources to them to will help them achieve equal outcomes. Equality is the outcome, while equity is the way to reach that outcome, to explain simply.
UN has also issued its International Women’s Day theme 2023, ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.’ The theme will explore the digital gender gap and also highlight protecting the rights of girls and women on digital platforms.
How is International Women’s Day Celebrated Around the World?
International Women’s Day is celebrated globally to promote gender equality and women’s rights. Several countries observe this day by having marches, protests, and giving Women’s Day gifts to loved ones, colleagues, and employees at the workplace. Here’s how some countries celebrate this special day:
USA
In the United States, the entire month of March is observed as Women’s History Month to celebrate women’s achievements in all fields throughout history till today. The capital cities of the US host conferences and events to raise awareness for gender equality and women empowerment.
Italy
International Women’s Day in Italy is called La Festa della Donna. Streets of Italy on this day are lined with florists selling yellow-hued mimosa flowers. People gift these pretty blossoms to the women in their lives to honor them. They also bake a cake with designs resembling mimosa flowers.
Germany
In Germany, the parliament of Berlin voted to celebrate the 8th of March as Frauentag. Berlin is the only state in the country that has a public holiday on this occasion.
China
Women’s Day has been observed in China since 1949. On this day, many companies give a half-day off to their female employees so that they can spend the rest of their day celebrating. People also give gifts to women to show their love and respect.
UK
In the UK, International Women’s Day is celebrated in several ways. Various events, such as art exhibitions, screenings, etc., are organized, and activists and speakers come together to raise awareness of issues that women face.
How to Celebrate International Women’s Day
There are several ways in which you can celebrate this occasion. Here are some ideas to celebrate International Women’s Day 2023:
- You can participate in the IWD 2023 campaign by taking pictures or videos of you embracing yourself and posting it on hashtags #EmbraceEquity and #IWD2023.
- Send a token of your love and respect to the special ladies in your life by gifting Women’s Day cakes, flowers, and other gifts.
- Make your own or share famous inspirational Women’s Day quotes and share them with your friends and colleagues at work.
- Help female-focused NGOs with charity and fundraising. You can also buy them something useful such as clothes, food, etc. You can also talk to the women at the NGOs and spend a day with them.
Celebrate this International Women’s Day by celebrating the women around you and spreading awareness of gender equality and the challenges women face daily. You can also send your heartiest wishes for this occasion by sending Women’s Day gifts to sister, wife, mother, or daughter and letting them know how lucky you feel to have such wonderful ladies in your life.
Pratiksha is our in-house content writer who aims to provide quality content to her readers. In her free time, she enjoys reading and writing, and learning about new things.