Join us in celebrating International Women's Day 2009

Every year on March 8th, women around the world come together to celebrate International Women's Day (IWD), a global event celebrating the political and social achievements of women past, present and future.

This Saturday, Family Planning NSW will join many other women's groups in the IWD march in Sydney's CBD.  Hundreds of women and young girls are expected to gather at Town Hall before marching at noon to Hyde Park, where stalls and tents will be on display for IWD march attendees and the general public.

Nationwide there are more than 156 IWD celebrations registered and Family Planning NSW is inviting all to take part in the festivities.

For more information, check out this IWD factsheet.

History of International Women's Day

(found at www.internationalwomensday.com)

1910 

The second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen, where a woman named Clara Zetkin, who was the leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, tabled the idea of an International Women's Day.

She proposed that every year, in every country, there should be a celebration on the same day - a Women's Day - to press for their demands. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working women's clubs, and including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament, greeted Zetkin's suggestion with unanimous approval and thus International Women's Day was the result.

1911

The very first International Women's Day was launched. Plans for the first International Women's Day demonstration were spread by word of mouth and in the press.

Success of the first International Women's Day in 1911 exceeded all expectation.  Meetings were organized everywhere in small towns and even the villages halls were packed so full that male workers were asked to give up their places for women.

1913

IWD was transferred to 8 March and this day has remained the global date for International Women's Day ever since.

1975

IWD was given official recognition by the United Nations and was taken up by many governments. International Women's Day is marked by a national holiday in China, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

For further information

Contact Lindsey Parks, Communications & Marketing Officer by phone on 0447 376 791 or email here.