Caffeinated Scientist

8th March is observed as International Women’s Day but how did this day come into existence? There is a rich history which envelopes this day and it all started in the 1900s.

Today women have so much freedom in terms of voting rights, payscale, what clothes they want to wear to name a few. However, this was not the scenario back in the 1900s. Women were oppressed, they were not given the freedom of choice and were looked down upon. Women were expected to stay at home after marriage, look after their children and look after thee house while the husband went to work outside and was the sole bread earner of the family.

Amidst all the oppression, the women of New York started raising their voices against all the injustice against them. In 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. This gave rise to the celebration of National Women’s Day on 28th February as announced by the Socialist Party of America in 1909.

World War I posed a problem with the women as the men were at the war site and the government was adamant in listening to the needs of the women. As a result of which in 1917, hundreds and thousands of women came to the street to protest and demanded change. They went on strike for four days and in the end, the Czar was forced to abdicate and women were given provisional voting rights.

In 1975, the United Nations first celebrated International Women’s Day and since then we have observed International Women’s Day on 8th March.

We women have come a long way from not having any rights to doing what we want to now. Huge respect to all the women who fought for the equality and the rights, we are what we are because of them.

Happy International Women’s Day to all the beautiful ladies out there. May you be strong, may you be kind, may you be unapologetic and shine like the sun.