INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

International Women’s Day

Gandhiji said, ‘Intellectually, mentally, and spiritually, woman is equivalent to a male and she can participate in every activity."

From Sita in Ramayana to Kannagi in Silapathikaram to Rani Jhansi are not only celebrated women but also their contribution to social change and awareness had been immense. Even Ramakrishnaparmahamsar is said to have worshipped his wife.

Gender is western concept. India is the original home of the Mother Goddess. women in India have always been honored and respected.

Article 14 of the constitution accords equality for both genders.

India has led the world in ratifying UN Conventions and international covenants like the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Beijing Platform for Action.

Only in India Woman is worshipped as Sakthi [Strength], Saraswathy [Knowledge] and Lakshmi [Prosperity]. No other country or religion in the world worships women hood in the way India does. In Hindu Mythology women is said to have been given absolutely 50% of Mental, Spiritual and physical space in the life of a man, when Shiva is illustrated to have done this in Arthnareeswarar form.

India is fortunate to have had many great women - Auvaiyar, Annie Besent , First women president of Indian national Congress, Nevedita, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, First Indian Woman President of UN General Assembly, Mother Teresa, Sarojini Naidu to Indira Gandhi only the second woman Prime Minster in the world, to Kalpana Chawla, Indra Nooyi to Pratibha Patil first women President of India and many more in the Indian Corporate sector who have proved to be more than a match . Their contribution to society in whole and to Women in Particular is invaluable.

In Modern Indian society women are playing stellar role, even challenging the males in Politics. More importantly their role in family building, society development is stupendous. Indian woman is emerging out of their conventional role, realizing their unlimited potential and have begun to take major role in all walks of life.

Indian woman is beautiful, gentle, motherly yet powerful. Indian society look upto their women folk to take the lead, which is slowly happening. When India becomes a superpower, surely there will be significant contribution from great women

International Women's Day has been observed since in the early 1900's,

History of International Women’s Day:

International Women's Day has been observed since in the early 1900's, 

1908 : Great unrest and critical debate was occurring amongst women. In 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.

1909 : In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman's Day (NWD) was observed across the United States on 28 February. Women continued to celebrate NWD on the last Sunday of February until 1913.

1910 : 1910 a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named a Clara Zetkin

1911 : Following the decision agreed at Copenhagen in 1911, International Women's Day (IWD) was honoured the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. However less than a week later on 25 March, the tragic 'Triangle Fire' in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This disastrous event drew significant attention to working conditions and labor legislation in the United States that became a focus of subsequent International Women's Day events. 1911 also saw women's 'Bread and Roses' campaign.

1913-1914 : On the eve of World War I campaigning for peace, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. In 1913 following discussions, International Women's Day was transferred to 8 March and this day has remained the global date for International Women’s Day ever since. In 1914.

1917 : On the last Sunday of February, Russian women began a strike for "bread and peace" in response to the death over 2 million Russian soldiers in war. Opposed by political leaders the women continued to strike until four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. The date the women's strike commenced was Sunday 23 February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia. This day on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere was 8 March.

1918 - 1999 : Since its birth in the socialist movement, International Women's Day has grown to become a global day of recognition and celebration across developed and developing countries alike.

2000 and beyond : IWD is now an official holiday in China, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. The tradition sees men honoring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.