International Women’s Day is a day that celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This day is for every woman no matter what race, age, status, etc.

In the early 1900s, women began to be more vocal and active about the oppression and inequality they faced. Women were usually working in factories or as domestic servants for long hours with very minimal pay. Factories were often unsanitary and contained dangerous machines. However, in 1908, approximately 15,000 women marched through New York City protesting for better working conditions. Their march marked the first National Women’s Day.

According to the International Women’s Day website, the first International Women’s Day was celebrated in 1911. A year before that, an international Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. Clara Zektin, leader of the “Women’s Office” in Germany, proposed the idea of an International Women’s Day. A year later after the agreement in Copenhagen, International Women’s Day was celebrated for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland.

Today, the idea of “feminism” is growing and becoming more popular. Feminism is being recognized more throughout the media and being spread through famous voices. The unequal rights, treatment, and double standards are becoming far more recognized.  For example, in 61 countries, girls are legally allowed to wed at a younger age than boys (News Week). In just a few years, Malala Yousafzai has become the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner at 17 years old (she promotes education for women around the world) and women in Saudi Arabia finally received the rights to vote and drive in 2015.

In recent years alone, social media has become a place where women around the world can empower one another and advance women’s rights. Women can voice their opinions, concerns, and thoughts freely and create communities and networks to uplift and empower one another. According to Pew Research Center, 92% of teenagers go online daily or have access to the internet. Therefore, social media has a great impact and the messages spread online will reach out and effect more people.

Although women have achieved a lot, there is far more to come. In the United States, women are paid 78 cents for every dollar a man earns. Women also don’t get a paid while on maternity leave. Some women around the world still face female circumcision, abuse, and oppression. Also, the World Economic Forum’s ninth Global Gender Gap Report estimated that the world would not eliminate the gender gap until 2095.

We must recognize the achievements of women globally, but also fight for more.