Celebrating International Women’s Day-1911 Was Just The Beginning

nternational Women's Day (IWD) was actually observed for the first time on March 19, 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, and not on March 18.

IWD was initially proposed by Clara Zetkin, a German Marxist and feminist activist, at the Second International Conference of Working Women held in Copenhagen in 1910. The conference attendees, which included more than 100 women from 17 countries, unanimously approved the proposal to create an annual Women's Day.

The first IWD was observed the following year, on March 19, 1911, with rallies, marches and other events held across the four countries where it was initially celebrated. The day was dedicated to promoting women's rights, including the right to vote, to work, and to hold public office. Since then, it has been celebrated annually on March 8, with different themes each year to highlight various issues affecting women around the world.