International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.
This year’s theme, “Empowering Women – Empowering Humanity: Picture It!” envisions a world where each woman and girl can exercise her choices, such as participating in politics, getting an education, having an income, and living in societies free from violence and discrimination.
In 2015, International Women’s Day highlights the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a historic roadmap signed by 189 governments 20 years ago that sets the agenda for realizing women’s rights. While there have been many achievements since then, many serious gaps remain. This is the time to uphold women’s achievements, recognize challenges, and focus greater attention on women’s rights and gender equality to mobilize all people to do their part.
In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women’s economic, political, and social achievements.
In other regions, however, the political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner. This is a day which some people celebrate by wearing purple ribbons.
In Azerbaijan like in many countries, 8 March is a red-letter day and public holiday In the West, this holiday has not such wide popularity but is also celebrated as International Day of struggle for women’s rights and international world, and dedicated to women’s achievements in political, economic and social spheres of life).
The holiday history starts from the end of the XIX century when women began fighting actively for their rights. On 8 March 1857 a manifest for the rights of female-workers, involved in garment and footwear factories was passed. It claimed for better working conditions and decent payment equal to that of men. This manifest resulted in improvement of women’s working conditions and establishment of the first women’s trade union. It served as a signal for one of the key moments in the emancipation history to start – granting voting power to women.
The idea to celebrate an international women’s day was put forward for the first time by Clara Zetkin at an International Conference of women-socialists, held in Copenhagen. Many women joined the struggle for their equality, the right to work, peace and also the struggle against poverty. In 1911 this holiday was celebrated for the first time on 19 March in Austria, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland. Russia celebrated this holiday for the first time in 1913, and on 8 March 1914 women from many world’s countries held a protest march against the First World War. It is solemnized in Azerbaijan in 1917.
Upon establishment of the Soviet power, 8 March became an official holiday day in all the union’s republics, including Azerbaijan. In 1965 the day of 8 March was declared a public holiday. The State Committee on Family, Women and Children’s Problems was established in Azerbaijan in 1998. Azerbaijan is also represented in the Council of Europe’s bureau on women and is a full-fledged member of the UN Commission on women’s issues. In 1995, Azerbaijan joined the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
This tradition survived up to date. At present this holiday has lost its political meaning and became just the Day of all women, when men charge themselves with all work about the house, present gifts and flowers and arrange festive events for their mothers, wives, sisters and daughters.
un.org | advantour.com