March 8 International Women's Day

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY, better known in Italy as WOMEN'S DAY, celebrated its first centenary in 2009. But where does this anniversary come from? A very famous legend tells that WOMEN'S DAY was established in 1908 in memory of the workers who died in the fire of a New York factory. In reality, its origins date back to the beginning of the last century when on February 28, 1909 in the United States, the FIRST NATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY was established at the invitation of the American Socialist Party which, on that date, organized a large demonstration in favor of the right of women to vote. In 1910 the event also arrived in Europe: on the occasion of the Copenhagen Congress, the Socialist International decided to establish INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY. At the time, a precise date had not yet been established and following the American model, the day fell on the last Sunday of February. On March 25, 1911, the event occurred which more than any other led to the beginning of protests and demonstrations in favor of women's emancipation and from which the legend of the origin of Women's Day was probably born: in the Triangle factory in New York developed a fire in which more than 140 workers lost their lives. From that moment on, days dedicated to women were born in many European countries, including Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

The date of March 8 entered the history of WOMEN'S DAY for the first time in 1917 and is connected to the RUSSIAN REVOLUTION. On March 8 of the Gregorian calendar, in 1917 the women of St. Petersburg organized a strike to get "bread and peace". A few days later the tsar abdicated and the date has remained in the history books to indicate the beginning of the FEBRUARY REVOLUTION. It was this event that inspired the delegates of the SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF COMMUNIST WOMEN in Moscow, when they chose MARCH 8 as the date on which to establish INTERNATIONAL WORKER DAY. From here on WOMEN'S DAY was established for March 8 and quickly assumed global dimensions.

In Italy, Women's Day began to be celebrated in 1922 with the same political connotation and social claim. The initiative gained strength in 1945 when the Unione Donne Italiane (made up of women from the PCI, PSI, Action Party, Christian Left and Labor Democracy, still engaged in the promotion and defense of women's rights) celebrated the day della Donna in the areas of Italy already freed from fascism. However, we must wait until 1946 for the appearance of its symbol: the mimosa. The idea of the mimosa was proposed by ex-combatants Teresa Noce, Rita Montagnana and Teresa Mattei. The flower had all the ideal characteristics to become the symbol of Women's Day: its spontaneous flowering takes place in early March and its costs are quite low. It has a splendid bright yellow color that conveys joy, strength and vitality almost like a transition from silent winter to vital spring. Its ability to flourish in difficult terrain and its remarkable resistance, despite its fragile and delicate appearance, also make it the perfect expression of female resilience, capable of getting up and regenerating at every difficulty. 

In 1975 the United Nations designated March 8 as International Women's Day with the aim of celebrating the economic, political and cultural progress achieved by women around the world, regardless of ethnicity, language and political affiliations, social and economic developments, raise awareness of gender inequality and discrimination, and promote global support for women.

The symbol of International Women's Day (only in Italy is the mimosa ..) is the female gender usually accompanied by the colors purple, green and white where purple represents dignity and justice, green hope and white purity .

Despite the many steps forward made, in many countries the condition of women is still of grave disparity and more than ever in certain states it is of intolerable injustice, with heavy abuses and denied rights.

Since 1996, every International Women's Day has had an official theme and this year's is #EmbraceEquity which focuses attention on how gender equity must be part of the DNA of every society and it must be understood that equal opportunities, with people continually moving from one continent to another, are no longer sufficient, but a fair action of true inclusion and belonging is needed.

Another highlight of this year's United Nations campaign is “DigitAll: Innovation and technology for gender equality” with the aim of raising awareness of the importance and contribution of digital technology in uncovering gender inequalities and discrimination .