What’s Powerful about March 8 – Women’s Day

Why Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8

International Women’s Day celebrated on 8 March, is a very important anniversary to remember the social, political and economic achievements that have seen the role of women radically changed in the last century of history. All conquests to be renewed every year and every day, to remember that women are still victims of discrimination, abuse, and violence in every part of the world, even in those countries where they have made great strides towards gender equality.

In reality, the institution of Women’s Day on March 8 at the beginning of the 20th century (was celebrated for the first time in 1909) is linked to the first movements of recognition of women’s rights, and in particular to the Suffragette movement, which fought for the right to vote for women. In fact, we recall that the right to vote (suffrage) was recognized to women only in the twentieth century, for what concerns the West at different times in the various countries, between 1900 and the second post-war period, and this happened only after hard struggles.

In addition to the issue of the vote, many others were the limits imposed on women, and many have been the achievements over the years in the recognition of gender equality and equal opportunities. In general, parity is not considered achieved yet. International Women’s Day focuses precisely on these issues. Precisely for this reason, every year on March 8 there are numerous events organized all over the world.

Women’s Day and the factory fire: the historical fake and the true story

For 8 March it is such a widespread story that you have probably heard it several times. There is information about a fire that would have occurred in a New York factory in the early 1900s, in which more than 100 women would have died, trapped in the burning building. Would such a tragic event lead to reflection on the disadvantaged conditions of women, so much so as to institute an anniversary to celebrate their rights?

In reality, it seems that another similar incident occurred in those years, but that it was even subsequent to the institution of Women’s Day, and therefore it was not the trigger of the institution of the anniversary.

Here we have some examples of female conquests in recent years, just to keep in mind that women are anyway astonishing:

1. The record results of women scientists
2. The first woman president in Taiwan, but not first woman president in the world
   Her name is Tsai Ing-wen, she is 63 years old, has a degree in Law and one in politics and a passion for cats (she has 2). For a few weeks, she has been driving the island that has always been linked to China. They called her the Merkel of Asia because she is an iron lady, and she is just one example.
3. Moms… despite the tumor
   Studies published in the medical journals say it by now: a woman suffering from cancer can carry out her pregnancy. Do we need to add more?!
4. Advertising friendly to women

After decades of sexism, something is changing. In English-speaking countries the Always-Like a girl campaign goes wild, girls and boys tell the stereotypes that make them angry. And they are invited to punch huge boxes with some phrases not respectful of women. We should all show it to our daughters and sisters.

5. More freedom with the 5-day pill afterward

Nowadays no more prescriptions are needed to have an emergency contraceptive. But still, 30% of women do not know what it is used for and 2 out of 10 pharmacists still ask for the recipe even if it is no longer needed.

6. The women vote in Saudi Arabia

For the first time, women ran for municipal elections in this country and, in December 2016, they went to the polls also.

7. The rise of managers
Women managers, those who sit at the top of listed companies, are augmenting and in companies led by women managers profits increase by more than 8%.

8. The increase in female employment

Women with jobs are nowadays more than men, but this doesn’ t mean by definition a sign of progress.

9. The boom of the women magistrates
Magistrate ladies outnumbered men: they are more than 51% in Europe. It is a small revolution. Today magistrate women are the majority in some countries, and their skill has been well recognized.

We all agree therefore that Women’s Day and the women’s power should certainly not be celebrated one day a year. March 8 can still be the right opportunity to carve out some time “for women”, meeting with friends for a chat, and perhaps exchanging a small gift, which, even according to science, is very good for health and efficient in adding a touch of joy to everyday life.

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