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In
1908 in the U.S.A, the Socialist Party appointed a Women's National
Committee to Campaign for women's right to vote. After a meeting, it
was recommended that the Socialist Party set aside a day every year
to campaign for women's right to vote.
On
March 8, 1908, the Democratic Women's Society, New York, sponsored a
mass meeting on women's rights. In 1909, it was agreed to designate
the last Sunday in February as National Women's Day.
In
May 1910, the Women's National Commission recommended that the Last
Sunday in February be recognized as International Women’s Day. The
same year in Copenhagen, Luise Zietz proposed internationalizing the
American Woman's Day. And so International Women’s Day was born.
Although the day had been named, a specific date had never been
specified and until 1917, International Women’s Day was celebrated
on different days throughout the world.
On
March 8th, 1917 International Women’s Day inspired thousands of
Russian women to leave their homes and factories to protest about
the world war, and the suffering they had endured. The protest
inspired the last push of a revolution. After 1917, and in honor of
women's role in the Revolution, March 8 became known as the date for
International Women's Day. It became official in 1921.
International
Women's Day was first celebrated as a socialist holiday honoring
working women. Now it is held on March 8th every year and is
an occasion for women and men to join together and call for a better
world for women and girls and celebrate their contribution to
society. of the world. The day is also an occasion to review how far
they have come in their struggle for equality, peace and
development.
Educate
The Children (ETC) is an organization that works with women and
children in Nepal to improve educational opportunities and overall
quality of life in poor communities. Below
is a poem, originally written
in Nepali by a group of newly
literate women who participated in ETC's literacy program.
It has been sung by the group at the International Women's
Day festivities in rural Nepal.
Rise
up sisters, this is not the time for sitting;
One hand alone cannot clap.
City women get an education;
Rural women fall behind.
Unless all women become educated, the country will never develop;
One hand alone cannot clap.
Rise
up, sisters, pull down your sari-veils;
We cannot get our rights just sitting still.
We must dispose of all the inequalities in our society;
We cannot get our rights sitting still.
Unless all women become educated the country will never develop;
We also need equal rights.
Only
after we join together can we get our rights;
When we sisters can get along, our rights will increase.
Women need to have the same rights as men.
Unless all women become educated, the country will never develop;
One hand alone cannot clap.
If
you would like more information about Educate The Children, or would
like to send your message of support to women in Nepal for
International Women's Day, please visit www.etc-nepal.org.
This article may be
re-published on your website as long as the following by-line is
included.
Copyright 2002.
Maggie Halliday is the founder and owner of International Woman, the
magazine connecting women around the world. Visit her website at http://www.internationalwoman.net
to find recipes, weddings, articles and much more!
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