The tradition began with the first National Women’s Day in 1909 and its roots are in campaigning for better pay and voting rights.
What is this year’s theme?
The theme this year is #PressforProgress.
The website says:
“We can’t be complacent. Now, more than ever, there’s a strong call-to-action to press forward and progress gender parity.
“A strong call to #PressforProgress. A strong call to motivate and unite friends, colleagues and whole communities to think, act and be gender inclusive.”
March 8 is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women
The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
International Women’s Day (IWD) has been observed since in the early 1900’s – a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies.
International Women’s Day is a collective day of global celebration and a call for gender parity. No one government, NGO, charity, corporation, academic institution, women’s network or media hub is solely responsible for International Women’s Day.
Many organizations declare an annual IWD theme that supports their specific agenda or cause, and some of these are adopted more widely with relevance than others.
“The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights,” says world-renowned feminist, journalist and social and political activist Gloria Steinem.
Thus International Women’s Day is all about unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action – whatever that looks like globally at a local level. But one thing is for sure, International Women’s Day has been occurring for well over a century – and continues to grow from strength to strength.
On International Women’s Day, March 8th, women and our allies will act together for equity, justice and the human rights of women and all gender-oppressed people, through a one-day demonstration of economic solidarity.
In the same spirit of love and liberation that inspired the Women’s March, we join together in making March 8th A Day Without a Woman, recognizing the enormous value that women of all backgrounds add to our socio-economic system – while receiving lower wages and experiencing greater inequities, vulnerability to discrimination, sexual harassment, and job insecurity.
We recognize that trans and gender nonconforming people face heightened levels of discrimination, social oppression and political targeting.
We believe in gender justice.
Anyone, anywhere, can join by making March 8th A Day Without a Woman, in one or all of the following ways:
Women take the day off, from paid and unpaid labor
Avoid shopping for one day (with exceptions for small, women- and minority-owned businesses).
Wear RED in solidarity with A Day Without A Woman
#ShePersisted goes viral after Senate votes to silence Warren
BY PAULINA FIROZI
02/08/17 08:10 AM EST
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) inadvertently created a rallying cry for supporters of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) when he rebuked her after the Senate voted to prevent her from speaking.
As Democrats held the Senate floor overnight to protest Sen. Jeff Sessions’s (R-Ala.) nomination for attorney general, Warren quoted a 1986 letter that the late Coretta Scott King, a civil rights activist and wife of Martin Luther King Jr., wrote opposing Sessions’s nomination for a federal judgeship at the time.
“Sen. Warren was giving a lengthy speech. She had appeared to violate the rule. She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”
The Senate voted 49-43 along party lines to prevent Warren from speaking on the Senate floor for the remainder of debate on Sessions’s nomination.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we must remember and honor these Puerto Rican women who had stood out in the past and continue to do so honoring our heritage.
The graphic above shows a few of the many Puerto Rican women who have notably demonstrated the stamina, work ethics, talent and accomplishments shared with our culture and the world.
Let me name all those I know.
If you know any I don’t, please, feel free to name them in the comment section.
Starting top left:
Rita Moreno … Actor, performer, singer, dancer
Doña Felisa Rincón de Gautier … first female mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico
Josie Pérez … Singer, actor, choreographer, TV show host
Sonia Sotomayor … Supreme Court Justice
Roselyn Vázquez … Actor, movies and TV series
Jennifer López … Singer, dancer, actor, choreographer
Graciela Rivera … Singer
Lisa Lisa … Singer
Olga Tañon … Singer
Miriam Colón … Actress; founder & director of the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater in New York City
Myrta Silva … Singer, songwriter, TV personality
Esmeralda Santiago …. Writer
Gina Rodríquez … Actress
International Women’s Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day, is celebrated on March 8 every year.
In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation, and love towards women for their economic, political, and social achievements.
“IOTD” is image of the day, a concept I came up with. I teach visual meditative therapy – or in easy terms – a mini mental holiday. For some people it is very difficult for them to get their image right. I post an image a day for people to use in their mini mental vacay. Some are serious, some are silly, and some are just beautiful!”
On International Women’s Day, share your aspiration with the world
Over the years, Doodles have commemorated the achievements of women in science, civil rights, journalism, sports, arts, technology and beyond. It’s always an honor to pay tribute to women who have changed the course of history, sometimes in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
But for this year’s International Women’s Day, we wanted to celebrate the Doodle-worthy women of the future.
So we gathered our cameras and pencils and visited 13 countries where we spoke to 337 women and girls and asked them to complete the sentence,
“One day I will …”
From toddlers to grandmothers, the women in San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, Lagos, Moscow, Cairo, Berlin, London, Paris, Jakarta, Bangkok, New Delhi and Tokyo all sparkled with personality. Each new city brought more “One day I will”s, more signature dance moves, more hugs, more high-fives.
The aspirations we heard were as varied as the women and girls who shared them, from the very personal – swim with pigs in the Bahamas – to the very global – give a voice to those who can’t speak -and everything in between. When it was done, we found that our own “One day I will…”s had grown bigger and richer, inspired by the women we had met.
~~International Women’s Day Doodle 2016: #OneDayIWill~~
~~Published on Mar 7, 2016~~
Over the years, Doodles have marked the achievements of women in science, civil rights, journalism, sports, arts, technology and beyond. But for our 2016 International Women’s Day Doodle, we wanted to celebrate the next generation of Doodle-worthy women—the engineers, educators, leaders, movers and shakers of tomorrow.
So we visited 13 cities around the world and asked 337 girls and women to complete the sentence “One Day I Will …” Then, we made this video.
From San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, Lagos, Moscow, Cairo, Berlin, London, Paris, Jakarta, Bangkok, New Delhi and Tokyo, the women we met make up a diverse mosaic of personalities, ages and backgrounds. And their aspirations are just as varied—ranging from the global to the very personal, from discovering more digits of pi to becoming a mother to giving a voice to those who can’t speak.
We also asked some more familiar figures to participate, including anthropologist Jane Goodall – who wants to discuss the environment with the Pope – and Nobel Prize Winner Malala Yousafzai and activist Muzoon Almellehan, who are working fearlessly toward a future where every girl can go to school. Despite already impressive accomplishments under their belts, these women continue to dream big.
Video creators: Lydia Nichols, Helene Leroux & Liat Ben-Rafael
Original music: Merrill Garbus (tUnE-yArDs http://tuneyards.com)
Inspiring Latinas Who’s Contributions To Their Fields Have Changed The World
International Women’s Day is March 8
It is a day that has been observed since the early 1990’s. At first, it was called International Working Women’s day, and the purpose was and is to raise awareness of the struggles of women worldwide and examine them in a hopeful manner. Also, it’s a day to celebrate women’s economic, political and social achievements. There are many women that, throughout the years have succeeded in their fields, creating major social change one way or another. On this day, we would like to honor the Latinas who represent their culture and heritage by highlighting it in everything they do, and who have achieved major recognition for paving the way to a more equal world.
Although there are so many Latinas whose work in changing the world remains anonymous, there are a lot who have been pushed into the spotlight. And of all of those we know, we’re only choosing 15. We are aware that there are thousands of Latinas out there working hard every day so women can enjoy a better environment in politics, the arts, businesses, literature, the fashion world, entertainment, and even in space. And may their example inspire thousands more to educate themselves and grow personally and professionally. Scroll through our gallery to see the 15 Latinas we chose, who are changing the world with their work and commitment.
~15 Inspiring Latinas~
Take a look at some inspiring Latinas who are an example for women thanks to their hard work, dedication and success.
Reuters, Mezcalent, Latin Times
Dolores Huerta
Huerta is a labor leader and civil rights activist who, along with César Chávez, co-founded the National Farmworkers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers (UFW). She has received numerous awards for her community service and advocacy for workers’, immigrants’, and womens’ rights.
(Reuters)
Celia Cruz
One of the most popular salsa artists of the 20th century, she earned twenty-three gold albums and was renowned internationally as the “Queen of Salsa”, “La Guarachera de Cuba”, as well as The Queen of Latin Music. Her career lasted a span of nearly six decades. The late singer was also a strong voice for freedom in Cuba and was strongly against Fidel Castro’s regime.
(Reuters)
Sonia Sotomayor
Sotomayor is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since August 2009. Sotomayor is the Court’s first Hispanic justice, and its third female justice. She graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University in 1976 and received her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1979. She was an advocate for the hiring of Latino faculty at both schools. She played an active role on the boards of directors for the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, the State of New York Mortgage Agency, and the New York City Campaign Finance Board.
(Reuters)
Rigoberta Menchú
Menchú has worked her whole life to publicizing the plight of Guatemala’s indigenous peoples and to promoting indigenous rights in the country. She received the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize and Prince of Asturias Award in 1998.
(Reuters)
Carolina Herrera
Carolina is a renown fashion designer. She has made a name for herself by dressing numerous celebrities and First Ladies, from Jacqueline Onassis to Michelle Obama. She was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2008 and “Womenswear Designer of the Year” in 2004. Herrera is a recipient of The International Center in New York’s Award of Excellence as well as Spain’s Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts, which was presented to her in 2002 by King Don Juan Carlos I. She was awarded the Gold Medal of the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute in 1997, and those are only few of her achievements.
(Reuters)
Alicia Alonso
Alicia is Cuba’s prima ballerina assoluta and choreographer.She runs the Ballet Nacional de Cuba and is most famous for her portrayals of Giselle and the ballet version of Carmen. (Reuters)
Isabel Allende
Allende is a Chilean writer who’s famous for novels such as The House of the Spirits and City of the Beasts. She has been called “the world’s most widely read Spanish-language author.” She was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2004 and in 2010, she received Chile’s National Literature Prize. Her novels are often based upon her personal experience and pay homage to the lives of women.
(Reuters)
Rita Moreno
The only Hispanic and one of the few performers to have won an EGOT: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards, and was the second Puerto Rican to win an Academy Award.
(Reuters)
Selena Quintanilla
She was named the “Top Latin artist of the 90’s” and “Best selling Latin artist of the decade” by Billboard for her fourteen top-ten singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, including seven number-one hits. She was called “The Queen of Tejano music” and opened the doors for that music genre. At the peak of her career, Selena visited local schools to talk to students about the importance of education and also donated her time to civic organizations.
(Mezcalent)
Mirabal Sisters
Patria, Minerva and María Teresa Mirabal were three Dominican sisters who fought against the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. They were one of Trujillo’s major concerns and he had them killed in Nov. 25, 1960. Their fight for a democracy earned them recognition from the UN, who, in 1999, designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in their honor.
(Screenshot/ YouTube/ AARP)
Sylvia Rivera
She was an American bisexual transgender activist and trans woman. She is often credited for adding the “T” to LGBTQ. She was a founding member of both the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance and helped found Street Transgender Action Revolutionaries (STAR), a group dedicated to helping homeless young street drag queens and trans women.
(Screenshot/ YouTube/ Randolfe Wicker)
Ellen Ochoa
Ochoa is the first Latina astronaut. She is the current Director of the Johnson Space Center. Her technical assignments in the Astronaut Office includes serving as the crew representative for flight software, computer hardware and robotics, Assistant for Space Station to the Chief of the Astronaut Office, lead spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) in Mission Control, and as acting as Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office. A veteran of four space flights, Ochoa has logged nearly 1,000 hours in space. She was a mission specialist on STS-56 (1993), was payload commander on STS-66, and was mission specialist and flight engineer on STS-96 and STS-110 (2002). All that without mentioning all her breakthrough research in spacecraft technology.
(Reuters)
Frida Kahlo
Her work has been celebrated in Mexico as emblematic of national and indigenous tradition, and by feminists for its uncompromising depiction of the female experience and form.
(Reuters)
Shakira
Besides being a singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, choreographer and model, we added the Colombian singer to this list mostly because of her work with children through her foundation “Pies Descalzos” and her activism. Her organization builds schools for poor children all around Colombia, but she’s also a UNICEF ambassador, advocating for the well being of children all over the world.
(Reuters)
Cristina Saralegui
Saralegui is one of the most iconic journalists and talk show hosts in Latin America. She began her career with the magazine Vanidades, later taking on the role of editor in the Spanish version of Cosmopolitan, to finally jump to TV with “El Show de Cristina,” which aired for over 20 years.
Google celebrates International Women’s Day with special doodle
In yet another powerful doodle, Google has featured women in various fields of study, from science to music, for its International Women’s Day special edition on its homepage.
The latest doodle shows sketches of women, in roles which are still considered unconventional for them to pursue, within the Google alphabets. From being a scientist, musician, astronaut, chef, athlete, teacher, and writer, it represents the modern-day women.
The doodle’s caption reads: Happy International Women’s Day!
In 2013 Google’s Women’s Day doodle featured hand-drawn faces of 27 women from around the world and Google added real women and some Zap Mama music to create its Women’s Day 2014 video doodle.
In 2012 International Women’s Day coincided with Holi and coincidentally the Women’s Day doodle had a Holi-like feel about it. In 2011, the 100th anniversary of the event, Google had posted an interactive Google Map inviting users to join tens of thousands people on bridges all over the world to show support for women’s causes.
Google has doodled the International Women’s Day on seven previous occasions. First in 2005, then consecutively every year from 2009 to 2015.
International Women’s Day was first celebrated on March 18, 1911 in four European countries – Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. The United Nations began officially supporting and sponsoring the event since 1975, the year that was designated as International Women’s Year.
International Women’s Day
This is why female achievement across the globe has been marked with a Google Doodle
Today marks International Women’s Day, an annual event that celebrates women’s accomplishments and promotes global gender equality.
This year’s theme is ‘make it happen’ and aims to encourage effective action for advancing and recognizing women. It focuses on women in different professional sectors; the arts, female-owned businesses, in senior leadership roles, and all aspects of working environments where gender parity has still not been achieved.
In the UK, the gender pay gap still stands at a significant 17.5%, while the Equalities and Human Rights Commission estimates it will take 70 years to see an equal number of female and male directors of FTSE 100 companies.
Unfortunately, gender discrimination does not stop there, with mothers facing an even greater challenge when they try to return to the work place after their maternity leave. A study in August 2014 found one in ten of those in low paid work were demoted to a more junior role when they returned to work.
Google has celebrated International Women’s Day with a doodle presenting women in high achieving roles as astronauts, scientists, athletes, teachers, musicians, chefs and writers – roles that were once reserved solely for men. It links out to a series of stories highlighting why such an event is still so crucial over a century after it was first launched. The doodle’s caption reads: “Happy International Women’s Day!’
The first International Women’s Day was held in 1911 and is celebrated annually on 8 March with thousands of events across the world.
It was honored for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March, where more than one million men and women attended rallies campaigning for women’s rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and treated equally to their male peers.
The United Nations has its own gender equality related theme each year. This year it is ‘empowering women – empowering humanity – picture it!’. It imagines a world where girls and women can have equal rights, exercise their own choices, earn at the same rate as men and live free of gender-based violence and sexual abuse.
~~International Women’s Day Doodle 2016: #OneDayIWill~~
~~Published on Mar 7, 2016~~
Over the years, Doodles have marked the achievements of women in science, civil rights, journalism, sports, arts, technology and beyond. But for our 2016 International Women’s Day Doodle, we wanted to celebrate the next generation of Doodle-worthy women—the engineers, educators, leaders, movers and shakers of tomorrow.
So we visited 13 cities around the world and asked 337 girls and women to complete the sentence “One Day I Will…”
Then, we made this video.
From San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, Lagos, Moscow, Cairo, Berlin, London, Paris, Jakarta, Bangkok, New Delhi and Tokyo, the women we met make up a diverse mosaic of personalities, ages and backgrounds. And their aspirations are just as varied—ranging from the global to the very personal, from discovering more digits of pi to becoming a mother to giving a voice to those who can’t speak.
We also asked some more familiar figures to participate, including anthropologist Jane Goodall—who wants to discuss the environment with the Pope—and Nobel Prize Winner Malala Yousafzai and activist Muzoon Almellehan, who are working fearlessly toward a future where every girl can go to school. Despite already impressive accomplishments under their belts, these women continue to dream big.
~International Women’s Day Google Doodle 2015~
~~Published on Mar 7, 2015~~
Google Doodle is honoring International Women’s Day on March 8th 2015.
Google celebrates the International Women’s Day 2015 with a worldwide Google Doodle. It is a celebration for women’s economic, political and social accomplishment. The Google Doodle shows jobs which were in the past only reservered for men. Google celebrate the day with a Google Doodle every year.
“IOTD” is image of the day, a concept I came up with. I teach visual meditative therapy – or in easy terms – a mini mental holiday. For some people it is very difficult for them to get their image right. I post an image a day for people to use in their mini mental vacay. Some are serious, some are silly, and some are just beautiful!”’
Some people make the mistake of thinking women are only gatherers … gardeners … that they can only dig and pick and cultivate and hide.
I tell you that women are the strongest, smartest and most dangerous hunters the world has ever seen. Individually, they may be physically overpowered, but in planning, in vision, in purpose and explosive action, they can’t be beat. Any honest man will admit there is nothing that fills them with awe so much as their partner when she has made up her mind.
She has become an unstoppable, indomitable will. If it’s against him, he’d better start running!
There’s a narrative that women are weak, that they’re vulnerable, that they are somehow less intelligent or capable than a man. Well, they said that about serfs, about slaves, about people from other races. They say it about anyone they want to control.
You see, it’s the storytellers that rule the world.
And we repeat their stories.
It’s time for a new chapter.
It’s time to write a new reality.
It’s time to stand up and tell your story.
You are only vulnerable when you let others define you as vulnerable.
You are only weak if you let them convince you it’s true.
You are only ‘less than’ if you believe it.
Women are warriors. They are the ones who run with wolves, the ones who follow the moon. They are the ones who give life and they are the first story tellers their children will hear.
Women have all the power of humanity. All the power to shape the world.
Are you waiting for permission? Give it to yourself.
Are you waiting for your time? It’s now.
Are you waiting for a sign? Look around.
You are the linch-pin, the tipping of the scales.
The moment you say you’ve had enough. The moment you rise …
Everything changes.
We are in a battle for a future that our children, grandchildren and theirs can grow in, be safe in, be challenged in. Part of it means taking time for yourself, for silence, to breathe and renew. Part of it means to let go for a while. You’ve been carrying heavy burdens.
There will be men who cling desperately to the idea that they have power over you. Outsmart them. Outmaneuver them. Out plan and out-strategize.
There are so many more good men willing to be your allies, willing to be your support, willing to be your partners. We are your sons, after all.
We are in a battle for the soul of the planet.
And you are that soul.
You are the warriors.
And this is your time.
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-Aaron Paquette-
Aaron Paquette is a First Nations Metis artist, author and speaker. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, his Bestselling Novel ‘Lightfinder‘ was published 2014 through Kegedonce Press and is now in 2nd printing.
From China to Costa Rica, from Mali to Malaysia, acclaimed singers and musicians, women and men, have come together to spread a message of unity and solidarity:
We are “One Woman”.
Launching on International Women’s Day, 8 March 2013, the song is a rallying cry that inspires listeners to join the drive for women’s rights and gender equality. “One Woman” was written for UN Women, the global champion for women and girls worldwide, to celebrate its mission and work to improve women’s lives around the world.
The women all over the world play this most important role in the community where they live. They are the givers of life, they are the nurturers, they are the foundation of the family unit. They provide knowledge, experience, time, effort, guidance, love and so much more.
They help us all have “the good life”.
“You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching,
Love like you’ll never be hurt,
Sing like there’s nobody listening,
And live like it’s heaven on earth.” ~~William W. Purkey~~
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” ~~Oscar Wilde~~
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ~~Albert Einstein~~
From China to Costa Rica, from Mali to Malaysia, acclaimed singers and musicians, women and men, have come together to spread a message of unity and solidarity: We are “One Woman“.
Launching on International Women’s Day, 8 March 2013, the song is a rallying cry that inspires listeners to join the drive for women’s rights and gender equality. “One Woman” was written for UN Women, the global champion for women and girls worldwide, to celebrate its mission and work to improve women’s lives around the world.
This year, International Women’s Day focuses on ending violence against women — a gross human rights violation that affects up to 7 in 10 women and a top priority for UN Women. As commemorations are underway in all corners of the globe, “One Woman” reminds us that together, we can overcome violence and discrimination: “We Shall Shine!” Join us to help spread the word and enjoy this musical celebration of women worldwide.
For lyrics, full credits and more information on our artists, please visit: http://song.unwomen.org
It Is What It Is 