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Today is International Women's Day
11:36, 8 March, 2013
YEREVAN, MARCH 8, ARMENPRESS: March 8 is international women's day and
there are several versions regarding its origin.
As reports Armenpress, there used to be a women's day in Ancient Rome
when married and elite women were magnified. That was a day of
presents and attention.
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 Eastern Europe, Russia, and the
former Soviet bloc. The first national Women's Day was observed on 28
February 1909 in the United States following a declaration by the
Socialist Party of America. In August 1910, an International Women's
Conference was organized to precede the general meeting of the
Socialist Second International in Copenhagen. Inspired in part by the
American socialists, German Socialist Luise Zietz proposed the
establishment of an annual 'International Woman's Day' and was
seconded by fellow socialist and later communist leader Clara Zetkin,
although no date was specified at that conference. Delegates (100
women from 17 countries) agreed with the idea as a strategy to promote
equal rights, including suffrage, for women. The following year, on 18
March 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. In
Vienna, women paraded on the Ringstrasse and carried banners honoring
the martyrs of the Paris Commune. Women demanded that women be given
the right to vote and to hold public office. They also protested
against employment sex discrimination. Americans continued to
celebrate National Women's Day on the last Sunday in February.
In 1913 Russian women observed their first International Women's Day
on the last Sunday in February (by Julian calendar then used in
Russia). In 1917 demonstrations marking International Women's Day in
Saint Petersburg on the last Sunday in February initiated the February
Revolution.
Following the October Revolution, the Bolshevik Alexandra Kollontai
persuaded Vladimir Lenin to make it an official holiday in the Soviet
Union, and it was established, but was a working day until 1965. On
May 8, 1965 by the decree of the USSR Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
International Women's Day was declared a non-working day in the USSR.
>From its official adoption in Russia following the Soviet Revolution
in 1917 the holiday was predominantly celebrated in communist and
socialist countries. It was celebrated by the communists in China from
1922, and by Spanish communists from 1936.
In the West, International Women's Day was first observed as a popular
event after 1977 when the United Nations General Assembly invited
member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for women's rights and
world peace. Nevertheless, actually, March 8 is celebrated only in
post-soviet republics. Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan,
Kirgizstan, Moldova, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are celebrating
International Women's Day.
After the Independence there were attempts to remove March 8 from the
list of holiday and instead create a new one -April 7, Day of Mothers
and Beauty. Nevertheless, March 8 had such deep roots in our society
that March8 - April 7 is non-officially announced to be women's
months.
From: Baghdasarian
11:36, 8 March, 2013
YEREVAN, MARCH 8, ARMENPRESS: March 8 is international women's day and
there are several versions regarding its origin.
As reports Armenpress, there used to be a women's day in Ancient Rome
when married and elite women were magnified. That was a day of
presents and attention.
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 Eastern Europe, Russia, and the
former Soviet bloc. The first national Women's Day was observed on 28
February 1909 in the United States following a declaration by the
Socialist Party of America. In August 1910, an International Women's
Conference was organized to precede the general meeting of the
Socialist Second International in Copenhagen. Inspired in part by the
American socialists, German Socialist Luise Zietz proposed the
establishment of an annual 'International Woman's Day' and was
seconded by fellow socialist and later communist leader Clara Zetkin,
although no date was specified at that conference. Delegates (100
women from 17 countries) agreed with the idea as a strategy to promote
equal rights, including suffrage, for women. The following year, on 18
March 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. In
Vienna, women paraded on the Ringstrasse and carried banners honoring
the martyrs of the Paris Commune. Women demanded that women be given
the right to vote and to hold public office. They also protested
against employment sex discrimination. Americans continued to
celebrate National Women's Day on the last Sunday in February.
In 1913 Russian women observed their first International Women's Day
on the last Sunday in February (by Julian calendar then used in
Russia). In 1917 demonstrations marking International Women's Day in
Saint Petersburg on the last Sunday in February initiated the February
Revolution.
Following the October Revolution, the Bolshevik Alexandra Kollontai
persuaded Vladimir Lenin to make it an official holiday in the Soviet
Union, and it was established, but was a working day until 1965. On
May 8, 1965 by the decree of the USSR Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
International Women's Day was declared a non-working day in the USSR.
>From its official adoption in Russia following the Soviet Revolution
in 1917 the holiday was predominantly celebrated in communist and
socialist countries. It was celebrated by the communists in China from
1922, and by Spanish communists from 1936.
In the West, International Women's Day was first observed as a popular
event after 1977 when the United Nations General Assembly invited
member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for women's rights and
world peace. Nevertheless, actually, March 8 is celebrated only in
post-soviet republics. Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan,
Kirgizstan, Moldova, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are celebrating
International Women's Day.
After the Independence there were attempts to remove March 8 from the
list of holiday and instead create a new one -April 7, Day of Mothers
and Beauty. Nevertheless, March 8 had such deep roots in our society
that March8 - April 7 is non-officially announced to be women's
months.
From: Baghdasarian