“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.” – Gloria Steinem.
A day set aside to celebrate how far the fight for women’s rights has come; a day to acknowledge the work still ahead in order achieve full women’s equality; and a day to remind women everywhere of the power of their voice. Originating in Copenhagen, Denmark, International Women’s Day was first celebrated in 1911 at a rally campaigning for, “women’s rights to work, vote, be trained, hold public office, and end discrimination.” Since then, it has become a yearly tradition to celebrate women’s journey toward equality on March 8th – a journey that began in the United States years ago with The Women’s Suffrage Movement.
A Brief History
Taking over 100 years to achieve, the right for women to vote in the U.S. was solidified by the 19th Amendment to the Constitution on August 19, 1920. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton began the movement that laid the groundwork for all women to make political, economical, and societal change by making their voices heard. Three years later, the Equal Rights Act was proposed, which urged to prohibit discrimination based on gender and, although passed by Congress, ultimately never became an official constitutional amendment.
While these achievements and others serve as an advancement in the fight for equality, women today continue to experience discrimination in many facets, including equal pay. Today, women’s earnings are 83.6 percent [when] compared to men’s and though there has been an increase in earnings from 65 cents to every man’s dollar to 83 cents, this comes nowhere close to fulfilling the promise of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (prohibiting employers from discrimination against employees based on sex).
The progression of women’s rights doesn’t end with equal pay. Regardless of your stance on Roe v. Wade, the fact remains that this piece of legislation served as a huge shift for women’s rights. The Supreme Court of the United States empowered women by awarding them the right to choose whether or not they have an abortion, taking away government restrictions. On June 24, 2022, this right was stripped away and overturned by SCOTUS when it overturned Roe V. Wade, taking the decision out of the hands of women and into the state, citing that the Constitution does not protect the right to an abortion. While this decision not only weakens the progress made by the women’s rights movement, it also removes the right of bodily autonomy.
For permanent change to be instilled within this country and its residents, women must continue finding the courage to speak up and against the prejudices they continue to face on a daily basis. This courage may not always come easy, but it is vital to the continuation of this movement – one that offers freedom for women and remove the age-old idea that women will not be believed as they are [viewed] less intelligent than men,
All of these components are what makes International Women’s Day a day to celebrate not only for women in the U.S., but across the globe. Without this yearly reminder of what it is women are fighting for, we would not be where we are today or have the tenacity of our fore-sisters to continue moving forward. This year’s IWD theme is #AccelerateAction, so get out and do your part to keep the momentum going whether it’s striking the pose for social media, writing a mission statement or joining the campaign – know that even the smallest effort makes the biggest difference in the lives of women everywhere.
