Women around the world protest, strike and celebrate
For over 100 years, March 8 has been dedicated to women. Today, we celebrate the achievements of women worldwide and protest for the actual implementation of gender equality.
In 1910, the German women's rights activist Clara Zetkin called for a Europe-wide Women's Day to be organized. Similar days of action had already taken place in the United States. On March 19, 1911, millions of women from Germany, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland and the USA took part in the first International Women's Day. At the beginning of the 20th century, women fought for the right to vote and for the rights of female workers. Today, the focus is on feminist issues such as equal rights, pay equity, political parity, (physical) self-determination and violence against women.
March 8 as a day of struggle, celebration and strikes
International Women's Day has been held on March 8 since the 1920s. All over the world, women take to the streets on this day to protest against patriarchal and sexist structures. There are demonstrations, fights, strikes, but also celebrations. In many countries (including one German state), March 8 is a public holiday and women and girls traditionally receive small gifts.
In 2017, feminist groups in over 50 countries called for a women's strike on International Women's Day. Under the slogan "When women strike, the world stands still", millions of women stopped working - both in paid employment and in domestic care work. This was inspired by similar actions in the USA in the early 1970s, in Iceland in 1975 and in Switzerland in 1991. In 2018, more than five million women went on strike in Spain alone and this year, March 8 will also be marked by strikes for many women around the world.
The United Nations and International Women's Day
In 1975, the United Nations proclaimed the "International Year of Women" and organized a celebration on 8 March for the first time. The United Nations then officially recognized International Women's Day as a "world day" and has since accompanied it with various campaigns. The UN has formulated a clear demand as the guiding principle for International Women's Day 2020: Gender equality by 2030. It's not long until this deadline. And there is still a lot to do.
FrauenMachtZukunft: Actions for March 8 in Dortmund
Every year on International Women's Day in Dortmund, the city's Equal Opportunities Office offers a varied program in the city hall with forums on various topics relevant to women and gender equality. This year, the motto of the event is "FrauenMachtZukunft" (registration required). Following the celebration in the town hall, the Feminist Collective Dortmund has called for a demonstration on Women's Struggle Day. The demonstration will start at 2 pm at Friedensplatz.