by Staff Writer
for Thomas.net / US
Image Credit: Zero05Ard / Shutterstock.com
International Women’s Day celebrates the social, cultural, economic, and political achievements of women around the globe. It’s also a day to promote and recognize the need for gender equality. However, you may be surprised to know that this positive event is also shrouded in a bit of controversy.
It was once thought that the holiday was established on March 8, 1857, to commemorate a protest by women garment workers in New York. However, researchers have since determined the popular origin story to be a myth created to detach the day from its socialist origins. Members of the Socialist Party of America actually first held what was then called a “National Women’s Day” in New York on February 28, 1909.
It wasn’t until March 19, 1911, that International Women’s Day was widely recognized. The day drew more than one million people to rallies in countries such as Germany, Denmark, Austria, and Switzerland.
Today, International Women’s Day is celebrated nearly worldwide. While there are slight differences in how countries commemorate this day, it is customary for men and women to give gifts to the women in their lives.
Various organizations and educational institutions also use this day to pay homage to women who have helped shape numerous industries, such as manufacturing (Madame CJ Walker, Stephanie Kwolek), science (Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin), technology (Ada Lovelace, Grace Hopper), and medicine (Elizabeth Blackwell, Florence Nightingale).
So, if you’ve never done it before, this March 8, be sure to let the hardworking women in your life know how much you love and appreciate them.
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