- International Working Woman's Day (IWD) is marked on March 08 every year. It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women.
- The first International Women’s Day was held on 19 March 1911 in Germany, Austria, Denmark and other European countries. German women selected this date because in 1848 the Prussian king had promised the vote for women.
The first International Women's Day was officially celebrated on the 19th of March 1911. The date was selected because on this day in 1848 a Prussian king had promised to make some unfulfilled reforms for women. However, the ground work for this blessed event has its beginning from the turn of the century. This was at a time when women force was entering into paid-jobs market.
In 1869 British MP John Stuart Mill was the first person in Parliament to call for women's right to vote. On 19 September 1893 New Zealand became the first country in the world to give women the right to vote. Women in other countries did not enjoy this equality and campaigned for justice for many years.
The very first International Women's Day was launched on 19 March (not 8 March). The date was chosen because on 19 March in the year of the 1848 revolution, the Prussian king recognized for the first time the strength of the armed people and gave way before the threat of a proletarian uprising. Among the many promise he made, which he later failed to keep, was the introduction of votes for women. - What is International Women's Day?
A look at the history of Women's Day, the numerous struggles for equality that women around the global faced and how this day came to be so honoured.Divided by borders, language, cultural background, economic and political differences; this day is celebrated by women across countries to represent decades of struggle for equality, justice, rights, peace and development. This occasion was first celebrated at the turn of the century, around the 1900's when the world was in a period of expansion and turbulence, booming in population growth and radical ideologies. Following is a brief chronology of the most important events:
1909 The first Women's Day was observed across the United States on 28 February.
1910 A conference of over 100 women from 17 countries established International Women's Day to honour the movement for women's rights.
1911 As a result of the decision taken the previous year, International Women's Day was marked for the first time on 19 March in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, where more than 1 million women and men attended rallies. In addition to the right to vote and to hold public office, they demanded the right to work, to vocational training and to an end to discrimination on the job.
1913-1914 As part of the peace movement brewing on the eve of World War I, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on February 1913. The very next month, women around Europe held rallies to protest the war and express solidarity with their sisters.
1917 After 2 million Russian soldiers died in war, women ran a strike for 'bread and peace'. Even with strong opposition from influential political and radical leaders, the women went on anyway. Days later, the Czar was forced to abdicate and women were granted the right to vote.
1945 The United Nations Organisation signed the first international agreement to proclaim gender equality as a fundamental human right. - Rights for women in India
Constitutional Rights
In a country where women still suffer the evils of dowry, domestic violence and infanticide, constitutional rights become inevitable to ensure a healthy and productive environment for them. The Indian constitution not only grants equality to women but also empowers the State to adopt measures to neutralize socio-economic, educational and political disadvantages to women. Fundamental rights ensure equality before the law, equal protection of law and prohibit discrimination against any citizen on the grounds of religion, race, caste or sex.On a more technical note, Article 14 in the Indian Constitution ensures equality in political, economic and social spheres. Article 15 prohibits discrimination against any citizen on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex etcetera. Article 15 (3) of the Indian Constitution allows the State to make any special provision for women and children. Article 16 provides for equality of opportunities in matter of public appointments for all citizens. Article 39(a) mentions that the State will direct its policies towards securing all citizens, men and women, the right to means of livelihood while Article 39 (c) ensures equal pay for equal work. Article 42 directs the State to ensure just and humane working conditions. Most importantly, the constitution imposes a fundamental duty on every citizen through Article 15 (A) (e) to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women. In brief, a woman can go to court if she is subjected to any form of discrimination. Consequently these rights protect woman in various issues such as marriage, children, abortion, crimes against women and inheritance. Though customs, traditions and religion dictate the way women are treated to a larger extent, these rights do limit the effects of these evils.
Laws on Crimes against Women
Women not getting a fair deal in society is not a new issue now. But this does not reduce the gravity of crimes against women. The rate of crimes against women is elevating sharply in India. Of the total crimes reported in the country, 7% constitute crimes against women. So we can imagine the number of crimes against women going unreported.Conventional laws such as the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, Sati Prevention Act, Dowry Prohibition Act and Indecent Representation of Women (Prevention) Act protect women from the more "traditional" crimes such as rape, abduction, dowry, torture, molestation, sexual harassment and selling of girls into slavery. But what about women caught in violent marriages? Since irretrievable breakdown of marriage is not a ground for divorce in India, these women have no hope. Methods used by courts to resolve disputes over custody of children, marital property, return of 'streedhan', are outdated to say the least. These methods weigh heavily against the interests of women.There is a glimmer of hope for these women though. Many women seek police help and use Section 498 A under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). This law actually helps women get quicker and more advantageous settlements. Again, The Child Marriage Restraint Act specifies the cut-off age for marriage as 18 years, protecting women from child marriage. Section 494 of the IPC protects women from bigamy with a punishment of up to seven years imprisonment for the guilty. Another area of focus, while addressing crimes against women, is suicide. Housewives account for 52% of the total female suicide cases in India. Section 306 of the IPC can punish the suicide victim's husband with up to 10 years imprisonment if found guilty.Another law that protects women against a seemingly milder crime is Section 509 of the IPC. This law punishes individuals who have insulted the modesty of a woman. Offensive language, sounds, gestures and intrusion of a woman's privacy are punishable under this law. Outraging the modesty of a woman is also punishable under Section 354 of the IPC. Under this law, an individual who has assaulted a woman, used criminal force on her or outraged her modesty in any other way can be punished with imprisonment of up to 2 years.The number of laws to protect women may seem impressive, but framing laws is one thing, making sure they are being followed with maximum efficiency is another. We are all aware of countless husbands that will not allow their wives to set foot out of their houses, or rowdies who threaten and take advantage of women knowing they don't have the courage to speak up. A large percentage of women in India are not even aware of these laws. Along with these judicial provisions, we need every citizen to take responsibility and act against these evils whenever they see such incidents.
Here are some first woman......
First women president of india : Pratibha Devisingh Patil
first woman driver in NASCAR history: Sara Christian
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