International Women's Day

The history of International Women's Day
8 March is the date when the world celebrates International Women's Day, but it hasn't always been so. There was a long road to securing this date in the calendar, going back nearly one hundred years. The following chronology shows the milestones laid on the path to International Women's Day. 

1909 - In the USA women had begun to struggle for voting rights and better working conditions. In New York it was decided that the last Sunday in February should be a national protest day for women's right to vote.

1910 - During the socialist women's conference in Copenhagen, Clara Zetkin proposed a special women's day but no specific date was decided.

1911 - International Women's Day was celebrated for the first time on 19 March in Germany, Austria, Swizerland and Denmark. 

1912 - International Women's Day celebrated for the first time in Sweden.

1917 - After the Russian Revolution the workers' movement in many countries split. Celebration of International Women's Day became increasing associated with Communism. In Sweden also it was primarily Communist women who celebrated the day.

1921 - The second conference of Communist International women decided that Women's Day should be celebrated on 8 March. This date was to commemorate the women who demonstrated for better living conditions in St Petersburg in 1917, thereby starting the February Revolution.

1930 - Swedish Social Democratic women celebrate Women's Day again through their internal meetings.

1945 - Thousands of women from 20 nations gather in London to celebrate Women's Day. Their message was to jointly protest for peace.

1946 - Women's Day began to be celebrated in the 'third world'.

1960 - Delegates from 73 countries celebrate the 50th anniversary in Copenhagen. 

1969 - Berkeley University in the USA prompts International Women's Day to be run on a broader front than previously. Women's Day becomes a campaign for peace, the right to free abortion, nurseries for children and international solidarity.

1972 - Women's Day makes a Swedish breakthrough when Group 8 and the Swedish Women's Left Union (SKV) organise a demonstration in Stockholm.

1978 - United Nations makes International Women's Day one of it's celebration days.

1980 and forward - The celebrations continue and several established organisations arrange education and cultural events. 

Today International Women's Day is celebrated in many different ways. Local authorities, student unions and trades unions celebrate Women's Day but also on a secondary level there are things like free swimming for women and even adverts for women to receive flowers on Women's Day. Political organisations arrange separate feminist demonstrations and events. The themes for these are varied: stop violence against women, equal pay and an end to patriarchy.

Anja Hirdman, media researcher, has observed a trend that Women's Day has become increasingly political. Anja points out that International Women's Day 2005 focussed more on violence against women.