A Short Note on the Historical Legacy of International Women’s Day
Despite the original intention to mark the inspirational struggle of women against gender based oppression at the workplace, today that key radical message and the political character appear forgotten in a commercially driven society. Gender based oppression at the workplace continues. Hence, this occasion provides an excellent opportunity to look at the origins of the movement, and assess the historical progress so far made and possible future directions of the international women’s’ movement for salvaging its real significance.
by Dr Lionel Bopage
Introduction
( March 8, 2015, Sydney, Sri Lanka Guardian) In the West, International Women’s Day was first observed as a popular event after 1977 when the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for women’s rights and world peace. Its theme for 2015 is ‘Make It Happen’ with a dedicated hashtag for social media. “Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity: Picture it!” is the Day’s UN theme for this year. Women’s Day is a day of international solidarity. In the recent past, women’s equality to men and women’s participation in government and politics were highly debated issues. There had been many struggles against ruling elites in many countries, who did not want to accept the rights of working women.
