By: Maya Kanigan – WIL President
International Women’s Day, on March 8th, originated as a political celebration to symbolize the fight for equality, rights, democracy and peace. In 1909, the first National Women’s Day was observed in the US in honour of the New York garment workers’ strike, where women protested against working conditions.
Then in 1911, over one million women and men attended rallies in Europe to fight for the rights to vote, work, and to end discrimination on the job under the first International Women’s Day. This special day also became a platform for the peace movement. Women held rallies in Russia and elsewhere in Europe to protest World War 1.
The United Nations celebrated International Women’s Day for the first time in 1975. Today, in Russia, China, and many countries around the world, International Women’s Day, is an official public holiday, a combination of Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day, which celebrates all women including daughters, sisters, Mothers and Grandmothers.
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day, #PledgeForParity, invites everyone – men and women – to take purposeful action to help women achieve gender parity. This day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity; something that the World Economic Forum has predicted will take 117 years to achieve on a global scale (2133).
International Women’s Day is also a time to celebrate our accomplishments. We thank you for your involvement in WIL and for your engagement. Whether you are a WIL member, following WIL, mentoring rising young women to achieve their potential, speaking at our events and forums; volunteering on our board and in our Chapters; calling for gender balanced leadership; valuing diversity; or attracting, retaining and advancing female talent at your company, we thank you for making a difference and getting us closer to achieving gender parity. And we thank our Great Grandmothers who banded together for women’s rights, peace and equality starting 107 years ago.
– Maya Kanigan, Founder & President
Interested in doing even more? Take action by:
- Joining us in Toronto on March 8th for Leading Women in FinTech! Register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/international-womens-day-event-and-leading-women-in-finance-and-tech-tickets-21442490065
- Becoming a WIL paid member – Individual Membership launches online next week
- Creating your profile on our LeadingTalent.ca career portal – search for career opportunities at leading employers who are known for valuing gender diversity and attracting, retaining and advancing female talent
- Posting your management, leadership and board positions on LeadingTalent.ca
Sources:
http://masterrussian.com/russianculture/womens_day_march8.htm
http://www.un.org/en/events/womensday/history.shtml
http://reports.weforum.org/global-gender-gap-report-2015/
