Monthly news & updates
March | Issue 6
International Women's Day

International Women’s Day was first recognized in 1909, one year after a historic march of over 15,000 white women through the streets of New York demanding better wages as well as the right to vote and hold office.

In nations where it is recognized, the holiday is celebrated differently; In some places International Women’s Day is a day for protest and visibility while others use it as a day to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of women throughout history.

Each year, the United Nations determines an official theme for International Women’s Day. For 2021, the theme is “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”.

A note on equity:

The march that served as the catalyst for IWD was a protest of European immigrants in the United States who were able to work in garment factories in New York City. The rights and quality of life improvements these white women were demonstrating to achieve were not made on behalf of all women, or even all American women - only for white women. Although BIPOC women have been instrumental in the work to dismantle pieces of the patriarchy that oppress all women, they have not been able to reap the benefits of this work or receive acknowledgement as expeditiously as white women in the United States. 

The omission of the experiences of BIPOC women from feminist discussion manifests itself in myriad ways, perhaps most starkly in recent history at the 100th anniversary of the passage of women’s right to vote. Black women in the United States have been afforded that right for roughly half that timespan, but their experience is excluded from the conversation.

Sofia DeMartino
Inclusivity Committee Member
Inclusive Media
#ChooseToChallenge
We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge.