The early 1900s were a very different time for girls and women around the world. Women didn’t have the right to vote and typically couldn’t own property. Female doctors, lawyers, and scientists were rare exceptions in these male-dominated fields. Many colleges did not accept female students. But women were organizing to demand the right to vote, negotiate better working conditions, and more.
International Women’s Day was one of the ways they organized. Although earlier marches were held to advocate for women’s rights, this event was first suggested in 1910 by Clara Zetkin at the International Conference of Working Women. Zetkin, a German activist, proposed that every country should celebrate women on the same day to help press their demands. The United Nations recognized International Women’s Day in 1975 and later adopted a resolution that all member states should observe it.
International Women’s Day is observed on March 8. It’s a call to action for gender parity. To reach gender parity, the contributions of men and women would need to be equal in every aspect—including at work, within families, and within governments. That means the same number of female and male political leaders, doctors, movie directors, and in every other career.
Great strides in gender parity have been made since the first International Women’s Day in 1911, but experts warn there’s still a long way to go to reach true equal contribution and representation.