Women: Today Is Your Day!

Wise Wednesday KNOWSY Readers, and a Happy International Women's Day! My question to you is two fold, first, did you know that today is International Women's Day? Second, are you or those whom you care for or care about, planning anything special to celebrate this day?

Up next is a small portion of the information listed in Wikipedia about this particular event.

International Women's Day

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 

International Women's Day (IWD), also called International Working Women's Day, is marked on March 8 every year.^[2] In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political, and social achievements. Started as a Socialist political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries, primarily in Europe, including Russia. In some regions, the day lost its political flavor, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother's Day and Valentine's Day. In other regions, however, the political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner. This is a day which some people celebrate by wearing purple ribbons. 

History

The earliest Women’s Day observances were held on many different dates: May 3, 1908, in Chicago; February 28th, 1909, in New York; and February 27, 1910, in New York ^[3][4]

In August 1910, an International Women's Conference was organized to precede the general meeting of the Socialist Second International in Copenhagen, Denmark. Inspired in part by the American socialists, German Socialist Luise Zietz proposed the establishment of an annual 'International Woman's Day' (singular) and was seconded by fellow socialist and later communist leader Clara Zetkin, although no date was specified at that conference.^[5][6] Delegates (100 women from 17 countries) agreed with the idea as a strategy to promote equal rights, including suffrage, for women.^[7] The following year, on March 19, 1911, IWD was marked for the first time, by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. In the Austro-Hungarian Empire alone, there were 300 demonstrations.^[5] In Vienna, women paraded on the Ringstrasse and carried banners honouring the martyrs of the Paris Commune.^[5] Women demanded that women be given the right to vote and to hold public office. They also protested against employment sex discrimination.^[2] Americans continued to celebrate National Women's Day on the last Sunday in February.^[5]

In the West, International Women's Day was first observed as a popular event after 1977 when the United Nations General Assemblyinvited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for women's rights and world peace.^[12]

In the 1980s historian Renée Coté uncovered the origins of the March 8th date for International Women's Day.^[4] Her research was published in 1984 in Canada, as, La Journée internationale des femmes ou les vrais dates des mystérieuses origines du 8 de mars jusqu'ici embrouillés, truquées, oubliées : la clef des énigmes. La vérité historique. Montreal: Les éditions du remue ménage.^[8]

In modern culture

  official holiday

  holiday for women

  non-official holiday

The mimosa (technically, the Silver Wattle) is the symbol of the celebrations of Women's day in Italy and Russia

The day is an official holiday in Afghanistan,^[31]Angola, Armenia,^[32] Azerbaijan,^[33] Belarus,^[34]Burkina Faso,^[35] Cambodia,^[36] China (for women only),^[37] Cuba,^[38] Georgia,^[39] Guinea-Bissau,^[31] Eritrea,^[31] Kazakhstan,^[40]Kyrgyzstan,^[41] Laos,^[42] Macedonia (for women only), Madagascar (for women only),^[43]Moldova,^[44] Mongolia,^[45] Nepal (for women only),^[31] Russia,^[31] Tajikistan,^[31]Turkmenistan,^[31] Uganda,^[31] Ukraine,^[31]Uzbekistan,^[46] Vietnam,^[47] and Zambia.^[48In some countries, such as Cameroon,^[49] Croatia,^[50] Romania,^[51]Montenegro,^{[citation needed]} Bosnia and Herzegovina,^[52] Serbia,^{[citation needed]}Bulgaria^{[citation needed]} and Chile,^[53] the day is not a public holiday, but is widely observed nonetheless. On this day it is customary for men to give the women in their lives – friends, mothers, wives, girlfriends, daughters, colleagues, etc. – flowers and small gifts. In some countries (such as Bulgaria and Romania) it is also observed as an equivalent of Mother's Day, where children also give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.^[51]

In 1975, which was designated as International Women's Year, the United Nations gave official sanction to, and began sponsoring, International Women's Day.

Today, many events are held by women's groups around the world. The UK-based marketing company Aurora hosts a free worldwide register of IWD local events^[60] so that women and the media can learn about local activity. Many governments and organizations around the world support IWD.


Alright, now that you have read some of the history about International Women's Day I also wanted to include a video for your listening pleasure, it is the Music Video featuring

the singer Helen Reddy with her classic hit song, "I Am Woman".
I actually wrote a Pulse Post for LinkedIn a few years ago called "The Adult Woman's Anthem: "Let It Go" Or " I Am Woman" you may view it here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/adult-womans-anthem-let-go-vs-i-am-woman-maria-victoria-orlando

Very good my KNOWSY Readers,  I hope you enjoyed this day and helped to share it with all your family and friends. Let us do our part to Recognize Women in all that they are for us and in every aspect of our lives, from our Mothers, Wives, Sisters and Daughters, Stand Up and Cheer, Pay Your Respect!