Roots | #IWD2018

Irie Magazine | Roots | #IWD2018

#IWD2018

March 8, 2018

Celebrated on March 8 every year, International Women’s Day (IWD) is a focal point in the movement for women’s rights.

After the Socialist Party of America organized a Women’s Day on February 28, 1909 in New York, the 1910 International Socialist Woman’s Conference suggested a Women’s Day be held annually. After women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917, March 8 became a national holiday there. The day was then predominantly celebrated by the socialist movement and communist countries until it was adopted in 1975 by the United Nations. The earliest Women’s Day observance, called ‘National Woman’s Day,’ was held on February 28, 1909 in New York, organized by the Socialist Party of America at the suggestion of Theresa Malkiel.

International Women’s Day commemorated globally on March 8, 2018, with this year’s commemoration being: “Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives”.

The UN International Women’s Day commemoration with UN officials, activists, and celebrities kicked off on March 8, 2018, 10 a.m. – 12.30 p.m., at the General Assembly Hall, UN Secretariat. The event provided a platform to amplify the voices of rural and urban women and activists, as well as identify ways in which the UN system and its partners can support innovative solutions to advance gender equality and transform women’s lives.

Participants included António Guterres (UN Secretary-General), Miroslav Lajcák (President of the UN General Assembly), Julie Bishop (Australia Minister for Foreign Affairs), Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (UN Women Executive Director), Reese Witherspoon (Academy-award winning actor and activist), Danai Gurira (Tony-nominated playwright, actor and activist), Mónica Ramírez (Co-founder and President of Alianza Nacional de Campesinas), Marai Larasi (Executive Director of Imkaan), and Sade Baderinwa (WABC anchor & Moderator).

IRIE Magazine invites you to join the global movement for women’s rights, equality, safety and justice. We encourage you to join the online conversation on Twitter using the hashtags #IWD2018 & #TimeIsNow. We also invite you to follow the UN WOMEN @UN_Women.