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Women Who Make History: March 8, International Women's Day
International Women's Day, declared by the United
Nations in 1977, is celebrated on 8 March every year. The story of the
emergence of Women's Day, which supports the existence of women in economic,
social and political fields arises curiosity. The story of March 8,
International Women's Day, which is dedicated to women who demand the right of
their labor, do not give up, and fight for equality between men and women.
International Women's Day, also known as International
Working Women's Day, is an international day celebrated with activities in
various parts of the world. International Women's Day, the focal point of the
women's rights movement, has a long history. International Women's Day, which
aims to develop women's social and political awareness and to take their place
in the economic, political and social arena, is at the center of women's
rights.
The 1800s: A Struggle for Equality, Full of Protests and Strikes
The beginning of women's struggle for equal rights
with men dates back to March 8, 1857. On March 8, 1857, hundreds of women
working in the textile industry in New York City, USA, started to protest the
long working hours and inhumane working conditions. 40,000 weaving workers begin
to strike against inhumane working conditions. As the conditions became
unbearable, the women protesting were struggling to work in better conditions.
In the society where women and men were not equal,
patriarchy was dominant. Although women did the same work as men, they were
paid almost half as much. This action, which started among women, was an event
of a kind that had never been seen before. Women protested to have equal rights
with men in society.
Women faced many interventions during the strike. However,
women, who continued their protests without taking a step back, were marching
from poor to rich neighborhoods. The women's protests, which were exposed to
the intervention of the police forces, continued to grow. The police, who
intervened in the strike on March 8, locked the workers in the factory.
Meanwhile, a fire broke out in the factory and a total of 146 workers, 129 of which
was women, died in the fire.
This painful event paves the way for many workers to
revolt and to struggle in unity. Women's Day is a day celebrated to honor the
women who lost their lives during the struggle. The day of women's labor and
struggle.
Celebration of March 8, International Women's Day
We see the first commemoration of women in 1909 in
America. In February 1908, New York women marched for many demands such as
equality in economic and social rights and voting. During this commemoration,
20 thousand women textile workers went on strike in Manhattan and thousands of
women workers were arrested for this. The strike was implemented for 2 months.
After this resistance, employers had to fulfill the demands of the workers.
Another event that led to the determination of
International Women's Day is that the 1917 February Revolution, which caused
the collapse of tsarism in Russia, started with women's marches and strikes on
March 8 according to the Gregorian calendar. In 1917, Russian working women
took to the streets with the slogans "We want bread and peace". On
the fourth day of the actions, the Russian tsar was deposed. The provisional
government established gave women the right to vote and be elected.
Held in Copenhagen, Denmark on 26-27 August 1910, at
the II. International Socialist Women's Conference affiliated to the Socialist
International, the proposal of German Social Democratic Party Delegates Clara
Zetkin and Kate Duncker, to celebrate the women's rights struggle, which
started in 1857, as "Women's Day" is accepted. The first
commemoration as International Working Women's Day was held on 19 March 1911 in
Germany and Switzerland. The determination of the date as March 8 took place at
the 3rd International Women's Conference held in Moscow in 1921.
Women's Day was mainly celebrated by socialist
movements and communist countries until the feminist movement was adopted in
1967. It was officially celebrated by the United Nations in 1975. In 1977, the
United Nations General Assembly declared 8 March as “Women's Rights,
International Day of Peace”.
Women's Day Celebrations in Our Country
Turkey, which is ahead of many countries in granting
women rights, celebrated 8 March Women's Day for the first time in 1921. In
this respect, our country has taken a leading position for many countries.
In Turkey, International Women's Day is celebrated
every year on March 8 with various activities.
As Schmart, we celebrate the 8 March International
Women's Day of all our women and strive to make women more visible and let them
have a say in social, political and social life. Let's not forget that a freer,
fairer and more equal world is possible with strong women.
