International Women's Day 2025: All questions answered

International Women's Day, IWD, is an annual global celebration of women's contributions throughout history. Every March 8, people come together to commemorate and mark this day. This article explains important facts about International Women's Day 2025, including its theme, colours you can wear, and things you can do to mark this day.

Key takeaways

• The origins of International Women's Day (IWD) can be traced back to the early 20th Century.
• The United Nations first celebrated IWD in 1975.
• IWD is a day to recognize the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women in various fields throughout history.
• It is also a day to advocate for a gender-equal world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination against women.

What is special about International Women's Day 2025?

It is a global day when women in developed and developing countries are recognized for their achievements without discrimination or division, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic, or political.

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Why is International Women's Day on 8th March?

According to the United Nations, the date's origin is strongly linked to the women's movements during the Russian Revolution (1917), led by Russian women on March 8. However, the idea of IWD began at the beginning of the 20th century. Here is a breakdown of the key developments leading to the event.

• In March 1909, the Socialist Party of America held the first official national women's day in New York City, to honour 15,000 women who protested for better pay, shorter working hours, and the right to vote in 1908.
• In 1910, Clara Zetkin, the German president of the International Secretariat of Socialist Women, proposed an annual Women's Day to demand their voting rights.
• In 1911, the first International Women's Day was celebrated in Germany, Austria, Denmark, and Switzerland.
• Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February 1913 as part of the peace movement brewing on the eve of World War I.
• Elsewhere in Europe, women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with their sisters on or around 8 March 1914.
• In 1917, women in Russia chose to protest and strike under the slogan "Bread and Peace" on the last Sunday in February (which fell on March 8 on the Gregorian calendar). Their movement ultimately led to the enactment of women's suffrage in Russia.
• Subsequently, in 1945, the Charter of the United Nations became the first international agreement to affirm the principle of equality between women and men, but it was only on March 8, during International Women's Year in 1975, that the UN celebrated its first official International Women's Day.
• In December 1977, the General Assembly moved a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace to be observed by Member States on any day of the year under their historical and national traditions.
• Following its adoption by the United Nations in 1977, International Women's Day was marked on March 8 as an official UN holiday for women's rights and world peace.

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What is the slogan of Women's Day?

The International Women's Day 2025 theme is, '#AccelerateAction.' It is a call for everyone, including women, to step forward in solidarity and collectively speed up the rate of progress worldwide.

The theme for IWD 2024 '#InspireInclusion,' was a call to forge a more inclusive world for women and inspire others to understand and value women's inclusion in making a better world.

What are the colours for International Women's Day 2025?

Purple, green, and white are the colors of International Women's Day. These colours originated in 1908 with the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in the UK and represent the long fight for women's equality and suffrage.

• Purple represents justice, dignity, and loyalty to the cause.
• Green symbolizes hope.
• White represents purity.

International Women's Day 2025 activities: How to celebrate this day

Here are some awesome International Women's Day 2025 ideas for those who would want to celebrate this day:

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• Wear colours for IWD, which are purple, green, and white.
• Start a social media campaign to promote gender equality.
• Fundraise and donate to charities that support women and girls.
• Launch courses and educational boot camps for women entrepreneurs.
• Support women-owned businesses by buying from them, advertising their business, and advocating for more financial aid.
• Encourage workplace initiatives for women's growth.
• Host medical boot camps for women.
• Read books or watch girly films about women's achievements.
• Campaign against harmful cultural practices against women such as child marriages, female circumcision (FGM), forced marriages like widow inheritance, etc.
• Raise awareness about Gender-Based Violence and advocate for change.
• Host fun activities for women such as group yoga, wine tasting, dance classes, karaoke, camping, biking, picnicking, canoeing, gardening, rock climbing, etc.
• Make the women in your life feel special with loving gestures like gifts, handwritten notes, and surprise dates.

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Who can support International Women's Day?

Everyone everywhere can support International Women's Day and there are many ways to mark this global day.

How can groups mark International Women's Day?

Groups and individuals can mark the day in numerous ways, including hosting an event, launching an initiative, running a campaign, or donating to a women-focused charity.

What is the best message for Women's Day?

You can share these messages to celebrate women on Women's Day:

• Women like you make the world a better place.
• You are more powerful than you know and deserve every bit of happiness today!
• You are an inspiration and a role model.
• Every woman is a unique gift to the universe.
• Wishing my colleagues a fantastic Women's Day! Keep striving for greatness.

What is an inspirational quote for Women's Day?

You can share inspirational quotes to celebrate women on Women's Day:

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• There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish. – Michelle Obama
• Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world. – Hillary Clinton
• No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. – Eleanor Roosevelt
• A strong woman looks a challenge in the eye and gives it a wink. – Gina Carey
• Well-behaved women seldom make history. – Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
• Women are powerful and unstoppable. – Malala Yousafzai
• A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture, and transform. – Diane Mariechild

Who runs the International Women's Day website?

The website for International Women's Day is run by Aurora Ventures, a privately held company.

You can play a part in making International Women's Day 2025 a success by supporting gender equality and engaging in IWD campaigns, events, rallies, festivals, and parties. So, make IWD your day and do what you can, in your way, to help forge a better world for all.

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Legit.ng shared classy independent women quotes to empower you in your journey. An independent woman pursues her passion but also dares to venture outside of her comfort zone. She is also a role model whose confidence is not rooted solely in her career or status but in how she inspires others and impacts society.

When celebrating International Women's Day, remember to honour women who make a difference, whether in the little things they do every day or the grand gestures they make in the public eye.

Source: Legit.ng