March 8th is International Women’s Day, a day that celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Ever since the beginning, women have been thought of as less than, and they have had to fight for everything they have. In the times of today, women of the world are taking more steps towards absolute equality on the basis of sex. Having a day dedicated to the achievements of women is a very big accomplishment for the women of today.

According to Historyco, “International Women’s Day was first celebrated on March 19 (now the later March 8), 1911. A million women and men rallied in support of women’s rights on that first International Women’s Day. The idea of an International Women’s Day was inspired by America’s National Women’s Day, February 28, 1909, declared by the Socialist Party of America.”

 International women’s day has since been celebrated annually, bringing a sense of triumph for women into the world. Historyco also says, “In 2017 in the United States, many women celebrated International Women’s Day by taking the day off, as a “Day Without Women.” Entire school systems closed (women are still about 75% of public school teachers) in some cities. Those who were unable to take the day off wore red to honor the spirit of the strike.” This just goes to show how important women are in the world today. Without women, the world would not go around. International women’s day shows that women have and always will do half of the work, and should be seen as equal to their male counterparts. 

International Women’s Day has seen some controversy since its introduction in 1911, as well as women’s history month. Like every other thing in our world, it will always pick up some arguments. On one side, some people may ask why men don’t get a whole month or even a day to themselves. Some others may ask why women need a history month. Our world is far from being equal, on many different levels. It is nearly impossible for everyone to be happy at one time, but international women’s day is definitely doing more good than harm. 

This holiday is not only celebrating the accomplishments of women, according to internationalwomensday.com, “The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.” Meaning that International Women’s Day is also about progressing in equality, bringing attention to many things that are far from being equal. Internationalwomensday.com also says, “Marked annually on March 8th, International Women’s Day (IWD) is one of the most important days of the year to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness about women’s equality, lobby for accelerated gender parity and fundraise for female-focused charities.” Having a day to bring attention to the breakthroughs and withdrawals of women’s equality is a great accomplishment for nations all around the world. 

Overall, International Women’s Day is a positive thing, and it is great to have a day dedicated to the women who deserve recognition for their hard work when they did not receive it in the past. Women of today need to realize that they are important and that they will change the world. Like an ancient Chinese proverb said, “women hold up half the sky.”