International Women's Day

International Women's Day is officially celebrated around the world on the 8th of March.

It began as a protest in New York in 1908 that saw some 15,000 women march through New York city demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.

In 1910, at an International convention for Working Women, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, Clara Zetkin (a leader of the Working Women movement), proposed an international day to unite the struggle for equality for women. The following year, the first official day was held on the 19th of March in in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.

Women's Day in Russia

Russia (and indeed all countries from the Former Soviet Union) have had an enormouse influence on International Women's Day. It was first celebrated in Russia in 1913, in St Petersburg. Around 1500 women came to Poltavskaya Street, demanding a decrease in the price of bread and other basic foods, as well as increased salaries, and the right to vote.

It was originally celebrated in Russia on the last Sunday in February (according to the old calendar). In 1917, this day was marked on the 25th of February, which was the 8th of March elsewhere in the world on the modern calendar. Russian women protested the war, horrified at the death of over 2 million Russian soldiers.

In modern times, Women's Day has become a public holiday in Russia, as well as many other countries from the Former Soviet Union, including Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. It is a day widely celebrated, and women receive small gifts, cards, and flowers from their husbands, sons, classmates, and friends.

Gift Ideas:

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