International Women's Day

International Women's Day 

          ___ Pilla Kumaraswamy 

         Women's movement started in 1908 in the world. Women garment workers in New York went on strike. Demonstrations were held in the streets. 15,000 women protested in New York City demanding shorter working hours, equal pay and the right to vote as men. A year later in 1909, at the call of the American Socialist Party, for the first time in history, 'National Women's Day' was celebrated on February 28 across the United States. 

 

        Then in August 1910, encouraged by American socialists, the International Women's Conference was held in Copenhagen. 100 women from 17 countries participated in that meeting. German socialist Louise Zietz proposed to celebrate International Women's Day every year. German socialist Clara Zetkin supported that proposal. They decided that women should have the right to vote and have equal rights with men. On March 19, 1911, over ten million people celebrated Women's Day in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. More than 300 performances were held in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.Performed on the Ringstrasse in Vienna. They asked for women's right to vote as well as government positions. Against gender discriminatory practices in employment. In 1913, women in Russia celebrated the first Women's Day on the last Sunday of February. (By then Julian calendar was in force in Russia).

 

          Until 1914 there were many agitations about women's issues but none of them happened on March 8. But in 1914 that day was declared as Women's Day. It might have been announced because that day was Sunday. Since then, it has been decided to celebrate 8th March as Women's Day in all countries. In 1914, Women's Day in Germany was dedicated to women's suffrage. However, they did not get the right to vote even in 1918. The February Revolution of 1917 began with the celebration of Women's Day in St. Petersburg on the last Sunday of the month. (The date was March 8 according to the Gregorian calendar). On that day all the women of St. Petersburg went on strike to protest the end of World War I and the end of the food shortage in Russia. This is called 'bread and peace' demand. With that, the Emperor of Russia 'Nicholas Tsar II' had to give up his throne. After him the provisional government gave women the right to vote. But the day on which the women went on strike was Sunday, February 23 according to the 'Julian calendar' and March 8 according to the 'Gregorian calendar.  

       According to Leon Trotsky, 'Nobody expected that day the foundations of a revolution would be laid. All the women workers in the textile industries, ignoring the warnings of the higher authorities, boycotted their duties and took to the streets. Those are the first steps of revolution". 

          After the victory of the October Revolution, the Bolsheviks, Alexander Collentiles and Vladimir Lenin, convinced the Soviet Union to declare the day as an official holiday. In the same year, the government of the USSR declared March 8 as a holiday in commemoration of the struggle shown by Soviet women up to that point. It was practiced in other communist and socialist countries as well. From 1922, China and from 1936, the Spanish officially announced it. On October 1, 1949, the People's Republic of China was formed. The government decreed March 8 as an official day and declared a half holiday for Chinese women. International Women's Day gained importance after 1977. The United Nations General Assembly has called for March 8 to be declared as the International Day of Women's Rights and Peace. In the 1980s, historian Renee Cote researched the origins of International Women's Day.

 

         Human rights activist and actress Betha Pozniak worked with the Mayor of Los Angeles, the Governor of California, and members of the United States Congress to get Women's Day officially recognized as a public holiday. In 1994, she worked hard to get the United States of America to recognize International Women's Day. 

The Struggle for Women's Rights in India Gautama Buddha was the first to form a society for women before 600 AD in India. It is probably the first association in the world. Buddha recognized that women have equal rights with men. But over the course of time in the country of India, even though the word 'Motherhood' is given the first place, in practice women are seen as worse than Puchika Pulla. 

    After the arrival of the British in India, the industrialization of large industries brought women to work outside the home. With that she became the patron of the family. With this, masculinity became obsolete. Thus, for the first time, a women's labor union was started in Ahmedabad named Anasuya Sarabhai Textile Labor Association. Sushila Gopalan, Vimalaranadive, Captain Lakshmisehgal, Ahalyarangnekar and Parvathikrishnan are prominent among those who organized these women workers. Recognizing these struggles, BR Ambedkar incorporated many laws in the constitution for the full development of women, equal rights, social values, and their free participation in all fields. Laws were made regarding working conditions, wages, and women workers.  

        Before the 70s, the slogan "Boy gets educated. Girl gets married" was popular in government savings and welfare schemes. Girls' education was given less priority. Government institutions have improved the living standards of people. Gradually, industrialists started encouraging their daughters to educate themselves and prepare them for jobs. Thus, the representation of women is 15% in private sector and 22% in public sector organizations. All of them mostly work in banking and insurance sectors. As the private sector became stronger due to the liberalization policies that started in 1991, the implementation of women's labor laws has been lagging. Women's participation and leadership in the struggles against this should be improved. Cleaning the environment should be a social responsibility, child rearing and education should also be made a social responsibility. Only then women can play a vital role in the development of the country.

          

            International Women's Day was originally called International Women's Working Women's Day. This day is celebrated as a day of respect, recognition, economic and political social empowerment of women. Women's struggle began as a socialist political event and gradually became integrated into the culture of Eastern Europe, Russia and the former Soviet Union. According to the United Nations, March 8 is celebrated worldwide to raise awareness of women's political and social rights. On this day, some people wear eggplant colored ribbons.