Katie Halper
March 8, 2008 |
2:10 am EST
Today, March 8th, is International Women’s Day. The holiday was was started over 100 years ago. Here’s how:
1. In 1908, 15,000 women march through New York City for shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.
2. In 1909, with the help of The Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman’s Day is celebrated.
3. In 1910, an International Women’s Day is proposed at a Socialist International meeting in Copenhagen, to honor the women’s rights movement and to help women gain the right to vote.
4. On March 19, 1911, more than one million people celebrate the first International Women’s Day in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, rallying against discrimination and for women’s rights to work, vote, and hold public office.
5. Six days later, on March 25, 146 women, mostly Italian and Jewish immigrants, are killed in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Because of the dangerous working conditions, locked doors, and dysfunctional and missing fire escapes, these women, some as young as 15, die in the fire or on the pavement, having leaped from the windows to avoid the flames. The tragedy, the worst work disaster in New York City until September 11th, sparks outrage and activism and reform for women’s rights and workers’ rights.
6. In 1912, 25,000 textile workers of Lawrence Massachusetts go on strike. During the ten-week-long strike, men and women, immigrants and citizens, march and sing together. Women carry banners that say “We want bread, and roses, too,” to symbolize the need for economic changes and dignity.
7. In 1913 and 1914, before and during the beginning of World War I, women in Europe call for peace and celebrate International Women’s Day.
8. In 1917, after the deaths of 2 million Russian soldiers, Russian women begin a strike for “bread and peace.” After 4 days of striking, the Czar abdicates and women win the right to vote.
9. 1975 was designated as ‘International Women’s Year’ by the United Nations.
10. In December 1977 the UN General Assembly adopt a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace.
Now we have to take a step. 
and sign Amnesty International’s Safe Schools: every girl’s right petition. And watch this video set to the song Amnesty International, based on the Amnesty International
Join TakePart's community today!
Filed under:
Human Rights • Peace
Related Links:
Top 10 Ways To Celebrate International Women’s Day With A Click Of The Mouse
A Day Without A Gay
Sarah’s Social Action Snapshot: Stop Violence Against Women Day
How Many Women Don’t Vote?
Women’s NIT For Peace! Grannies For Peace Plan a Knit-In
Tagged as:Amnesty International • International Women's Day • International Women's Day March 8 • International Women’s Year • Lawrence Massachusetts • September 11th • suffrage • The Socialist Party of America • Triangle Shirtwaist Factory • United Nations • women's history • womens history month
Add your comment • Trackback from your site • Follow comments via
RSS
17 posts in the last 24 hours
[...] = “UA-95521-9″; urchinTracker(); « Top 10 Actions That Made International Women’s Day Possible Top 10 Ways To Celebrate International Women’s Day With A Click Of The Mouse [...]
Top 10 Ways To Celebrate International Women’s Day With A Click Of The Mouse | TakePart Blog Network March 8, 2008 | 3:21 am ESTWhat a tragic story we are writing because men refuse to hear women.
When will this story end and a new one begin?
I hear old stories when men listened.
Some moral men are now.
Good.
Here is something I wrote awhile back when I envisioned of a better world.
WE, The Women of the world, need to stand up and prove once and for all that we are wise.
We died awhile back because we knew the earth was round. We also knew how to birth children and keep them healthy if they were born that way.
Our governments and business leaders are now destroying our lovely home planet on our behalf.
This means our children will not thrive.
We need to stop preferring boy babies. Girl babies are valuable because an overabundance of men brings more war and abuse.
We need to stop weapons and ammunition production. Military men will say that we will be defenseless but if it is stopped, the world will not be able to get more ammunition. It is big business that funds the making of mass destruction. Men can fight like men, using hand to hand combat. Besides, it is better to die for a cause than to kill for it, because we all have to die anyway.
We need to stop taking oil out of the ground. It is killing us in many ways.
We need to stop adding man-made toxins to our environment and products. They are making us sick.
We need to stop believing more is better. It is stressing us out.
We need to instill in every persons heart that it is wrong to abuse children, women, and men.
We need to instill in every person’s mind that that only truth will save us. Lies may bring temporary gain, but undermine survival.
We need to instill in every person’s being that what is on the planet is to be shared. Crime and terrorism is a result of disparity between rich and poor.
We need to instill in every person’s soul that natural death is a good ending. We need death so that our young have room to grow up and have children.
We need to convince our leaders that politics and religion do not and should not mix.
Then we can save the planet.
Anything else?
lora bruncke