On Sunday, it was Mother’s Day here in the UK. How fitting then that just two days later, we are widening the net of our celebrations and, rather than celebrating just one woman in our lives, we are celebrating the achievements of all women throughout history, with International Women’s Day.
The 8th March is a day for celebrating the achievements of women all over the world, and so for those of you honouring this tradition, here are 5 fun facts about International Women’s Day that you might be interested to know.
1. International Women’s Day has been celebrated for 105 years! Yes, the very first time International Women’s Day was celebrated was in 1911. While not all countries have participated in celebrations since the day was first officially created, a growing number have been getting involved over the decades.
2. It wasn’t always celebrated on the 8th March. In fact, the very first International Women’s Day was actually celebrated on the 19th March 1911!
3. The theme for 2016 is #PledgeForParity. Most years have a common theme to give a bit of direction to celebrations. This year it is all about reducing the parity gap between men and women. According to the official International Women’s Day website, recent predictions suggest that the gender gap won’t close completely until 2133! Why not join the Pledge For Parity and bring that date a little closer to where we are today?
4. Some countries celebrate it all month long! Maybe you remember our blog post about Women’s History Month?
5. It’s celebrated in 27 different countries. Check this Tweet for more facts about International Women’s Day.
Will you be celebrating International Women’s Day today? If so, how?