On March 8th, 2021, International Women’s Day will be celebrated around the world. The holiday is a day where “women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political,” as stated on the UN’s website. With an emphasis on supporting women’s rights, International Women’s Day is crucial in bringing the world closer to equality.  

The United Nations first recognized International Women’s Day in 1975, but the history of the day traces back to the early 1900s. According to the United Nations, the first International Women’s Day was celebrated by the Socialist Party of America on February 28th, 1909, in honor of garment workers’ protests over unfair working conditions. The celebration of women and the demand for women’s rights eventually spread across Europe and the United States. Still, the March 8th date was never significant until World War I when women held rallies “either to protest the war or to express solidarity with other activists” around that time. In 1917 Russia, women radically protested on February 23rd, a date that corresponded to March 8th on other European calendars. Women were granted the right to vote later that year, highlighting the significance of that 1917 celebration and its impact on the support for universal suffrage. March 8th progressively became a day to recognize women in several countries worldwide, eventually reaching the United States in the 1970s.  

The 2021 celebration of International Women’s Day is more important than ever, especially with the changes caused by COVID-19. The arrival of the pandemic has put a pause on efforts toward gender equality, but it has also revealed overwhelming contrasts between men and women as it relates to gender inequality. The theme for this year’s celebration, “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 World,” aims to “celebrate the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the gaps that remain,” as stated by UN Women. For example, despite working on the frontlines of the pandemic alongside men, women still “get paid 11 per cent less globally than their male counterparts.” This pay gap may seem small, but any discrepancy between men and women is one that should not exist. International Women’s Day is a day to point out these unfair differences and find ways to make positive changes while celebrating women for their outstanding accomplishments.  

Gender equality is far away, but as we continue to recognize gender inequality and reform, the closer it will be. International Women’s Day is a step in the right direction, and its celebration will assist in forming an equal, unbiased society.