Happy International Women’s Day! The world holiday celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women worldwide. International Women’s Day (IWD) has been observed for the past 110 years and honors how far the women’s rights movement has come, as they rally for a more just future.
In honor of the special occasion, here are five facts you may not know about the March 8 event.
1. It started in 1911
Russian Women on International Women’s Day in 1925.
(Hulton-Deutsch Collection / Corbis via Getty Images)
The first IWD was held in 1911, which was celebrated on 19 March in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland by more than 1 million people. The organization reports that official events during the inauguration favored women’s right to vote, work and hold public office.
Tragically, less than a week later, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire claimed the lives of more than 140 working women in New York City. The disaster raised awareness of U.S. labor laws and unfair working conditions, which further fueled IWD’s mission in subsequent years.
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Members of the National Women’s Liberation Movement take part in a march for equal rights in London in celebration of International Women’s Day in March 1971.
(Daily Express / Hulton Archive / Getty Images)
In 1913, the date of IWD was moved to March 8, a day on which it has since been celebrated worldwide.
2. International Women’s Day is not group or organization specific
The international crusade is not just organized or operated by one government, charity, corporation, NGO, academic institution, network or media group. Instead, IWD indicates an inclusive urge for action and advocacy, “whatever seems to be happening at the local level worldwide.”
3. Purple is the day’s distinctive color
Protesters hold a banner and posters during a rally in celebration of International Women’s Day on Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul, on March 8, 2019.
(YASIN AKGUL / AFP via Getty Images)
According to IWD, press symbolizes justice and dignity. A combination of purple, green, and white colors represented the pressure on women’s equality, dating from the Women’s Social and Political Union in the United Kingdom in about 1908. While green signifies the virtue of hope, white calls it “purity.”
Today, the color white is no longer used because the concept of “purity” is controversial, IWD said.
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4. It is celebrated in many ways
A Bundeswehr soldier hands out a carnation to a passerby in front of the Brandenburg Gate on International Women’s Day on March 8, 2019 in Berlin, Germany.
(Carsten Koall / Getty Images)
Around the world, Empowerment Day is filled with processions, rallies, speeches, conferences and performances, among other traditions. In the US, the holiday is a highlight of Women’s History Month, which was officially designated by Congress in 1987.
According to the BBC, some women in China get a half-day job on March 8, while the exchange of flowers – especially mimosa blossoms – is popular in Russia and Rome, Italy.
5. The theme of 2021 is #ChooseToChallenge
A woman holds a banner during a rally in celebration of International Women’s Day in Union Square on March 8, 2019.
(Maite H. Mateo / VIEWpress / Corbis via Getty Images)
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The #ChooseToChallenge theme calls for speaking out against gender bias and inequality and supports the advocacy of inclusivity.
“A challenging world is a warning world. We are all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day,” IWD says of this year’s inspiration. “We can all choose to seek and celebrate women’s achievements. Together, we can all help create an inclusive world.”