- International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on March 8 as a chance to herald the impact that women make around the world.
- Aside from the International Women’s Day, Vietnam also celebrates its National Women’s Day on October 20th.
- Visit Vietnam Insider’s homepage for more stories.
But while people in countless countries partake in the day, not as many may know the origins of the international holiday and why it began.
Learn about the history of International Women’s Day, why we celebrate it and this year’s theme below.
When did it first begin?
The day was first celebrated in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, according to the BBC.
The lineage of the celebration can be traced back to 1908, when 15,000 female workers marched in New York City as they sought more humane working hours, better pay and the right to vote. The Socialist Party of America would go on to declare the first National Woman’s Day in 1909.
IIn 1910, women’s rights activist Clara Zetkin proposed making the event worldwide at an International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen.
In 1975, the United Nations formally recognized and celebrated the event for the first time.
Why do we celebrate International Women’s Day?
According to the official website, IWD is “a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.” While the day is meant to honor the progress and achievements of women all over the world, it is also a vehicle to raise awareness and encourage accelerated gender parity and fundraise for female-focused charities.
What are the official colors of International Women’s Day?
The colors of IWD are purple, green and white, the official site explains. Purple symbolizes justice and dignity, while green represents hope and white represents purity (the latter is considered controversial by some). These three colors originated from the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in the UK in 1908.
What is the theme for International Women’s Day 2021?
International Women’s Day is ascribed a different theme each year. In 2021, the campaign theme for the celebration is “Choose to Challenge.” As the International Women’s Day site explains, “A challenged world is an alert world. And from challenge comes change. So let’s all #ChooseToChallenge.”
How is International Women’s Day celebrated?
The holiday is celebrated differently in various countries.
In addition to International Women’s Day on March 8, Americans celebrate Women’s History Month for all of March. In Russia, the sale of flowers decreases by 3 or 4 times on March 8. In China, many women receive a half-day off of work on the date, a nod to the celebration’s roots in the labor movement.
Aside from the International Women’s Day on March 8th, Vietnam also celebrates its National Women’s Day on October 20th.
It’s among several occasions on which the society shows their love and respect to the women for all the sacrifices they have made.
On this day, the most common gifts that a woman will receive are flowers and a lot of love from their beloved ones, some families will gather around to have dinner with the attention of women are the best, some even go out all night to make their loved women feel the most special. The night is young and the excitement is going up, Vietnam’s Women day is nothing but a day to be celebrated.