{"id":112,"date":"2018-03-07T12:33:19","date_gmt":"2018-03-07T12:33:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uogequality.wordpress.com\/?p=112"},"modified":"2024-05-15T08:03:39","modified_gmt":"2024-05-15T08:03:39","slug":"international-womens-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.glos.ac.uk\/equity\/2018\/03\/07\/international-womens-day\/","title":{"rendered":"International Women’s Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi<\/p>\n

This Thursday, 8th March, is International Women\u2019s Day. A day celebrated in many countries around the world. According to the United Nations it is a day \u201cwhen women are recognised for their achievements without regard to divisions\u201d, while still calling for gender equality. I\u2019m sure that many of you knew this. Have you ever stopped to think though, how such a day ever came about?<\/p>\n

I thought it must have been quite a recent recognition; a day to celebrate the achievements of women. I was wrong. According to the United Nations, the first day emerged from the labour movements in North America and across Europe, at the turn of the twentieth century. In 1908, 15,000 female garment workers took to the streets in New York City in protest against working conditions. On the 28th February the following year, The Socialist Party of America, designated this day National Woman\u2019s Day in honour of the workers.<\/p>\n

In 1910, The Socialist International, meeting in Copenhagen, proposed the idea of an International Women\u2019s Day to push for women\u2019s rights and build support for achieving suffrage. The proposal was unanimously supported by over 100 women from more than 17 different countries; no date was fixed. As a result of the Copenhagen Initiative, International Women\u2019s Day was marked for the first time on 19th<\/sup> March 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Switzerland and Germany.<\/p>\n

In 1913, International Women\u2019s Day also became a mechanism for protesting World War 1. Russian women celebrated the day on the last Sunday of February. In the rest of Europe, on or around, 8th<\/sup> March women held rallies to protest about the war or to express solidarity with other activists. This became the official date for International Women\u2019s Day, although it was only recognised by the United Nations in 1975.<\/p>\n

Each year celebrates a different theme. In 2018, the theme is #PressforProgress. Despite achievements made by pioneering women, gender equality has not been realised.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

IWD\u00a0 Hands out to #PressforProgress<\/p>\n

The World Economic Forum\u2019s 2017 Global Gender Report findings highlight that gender parity is still more than 200 years away. With global movements including #TimesUp and #MeToo, there has never been a more important time to keep motivated and accelerate the pace of change.<\/p>\n

Here at the University we have a number of activities\u00a0for you to\u00a0support, promote and get involved with:<\/p>\n