about ipas
newsroom
what we do
where we work
products
publications
contact

March 8, 2002
Globe icon

Commemorating women's struggle for peace and equal rights, International Women's Day rose from the socialist labor movement at the turn of the 20th century. A National Women's Day was first celebrated in the United States in 1908, in accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. The International Socialist Congress of 1910 voted to internationalize the American day. The following year, more than one million men and women rallied in four European countries to mark the first International Women's Day. Early demonstrators demanded that women be given the right to vote, the right to hold public office, the right to work and to be free from discrimination in the workplace. International Women's Day also became a mechanism for protesting World War I.

Today, International Women's Day is recognized by the United Nations and is celebrated as a national holiday in many countries. It is an occasion to review how far women have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development.

Resources for women's rights and health


For more information, contact:
Kirsten Sherk
Senior Associate, Media Relations
e-mail: sherkk@ipas.org
phone: 919.960.5612
fax: 919.929.0258