Laura Nayibi Arias, Culture Editor
International Women’s Day is a day that has been recognized since the early 1900s. It was established for the acknowledgement of women’s actions towards better treatment during industrial expansion when women began to be more vocal about better paying jobs and voting rights. Women’s Day, held on March 8, became an official international holiday in 2000, with many women inspired by the activism pushing the women’s movement.
Since the 1900s when Women’s Day was officially founded, women have had great achievements to celebrate. From widely known movements sparked by women’s suffrage activists and highly successful slut walks challenging the normative societal perception of a sexually comfortable woman, to individual victories possessed by women who refuse to be trapped by the vines growing in patriarchal lands, women have been fighting for decades.
Internationalwomensday.com is a site dedicated to informing the public about the history of Women’s day as well as how countries are currently acknowledging the holiday. According to their data table noting the amount of registered events for Women’s Day in several countries, the U.K. has planned twice as many events as the U.S.—such finding may make one wonder about the U.S.’ commitment to the recognition of women in America.
So the questions arise: What do women have to be recognized for now? Women are equal to men, what more needs to be done?
The truth is there is a lot that women still have to overcome. Societal influences dedicated to creating an ideal woman or oppress women’s sexuality, is an example of a women’s issue that has not yet diminished. When days such as Women’s Day are designated and there is no dialogue about existing issues as such, Women’s Day may serve as a distraction from these issues. So celebrate Women’s Day not only on March 8, but everyday because women have outstanding accomplishments all 365 days of the year; they are not only women on March 8, they are women everyday.
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