Issue 47 - International women's Month - by Poet Peter devonald

History of International Women’s Day

In 1908, 15,000 women protested in New York for shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.

In 1909 the American Socialist Party announced National Women’s Day
to honour the strikers, and in 1910 it went global – Women’s Day to advocate for suffrage.
 
The first International Women’s Day was held in 1911 when over a million people turned rallied across Europe.
Only eight countries allowed women to vote, equal pay was unheard of – if women were allowed to work at all.

It took until 1975 that the United Nations adopted International Women’s Day on 8th March, when it is still held.

More than 100 years since that first march the aims are still the same:

End harmful workplace conditions, equal rights and equal pay for all and end exploitation.

Climate change increases violence against women and girls
causes domestic abuse, human trafficking and sexual assault.

47,000 women and girls were killed by their male partners or family members in 2020
30% of women globally have experienced sexual or physical violence in their lifetime

45 countries do not have specific laws against domestic violence

47 countries still have no repercussions for husbands who rape their wife
2.7 billion women are legally restricted from having the same choice of jobs as men

International Women’s Day reminds governments, businesses

and everyone how much is still required