If you’re a woman, you know the struggle to fit every standard there is. You may be wondering when it will be our time for recognition. That day is coming up, falling on March 8th, 2024. This day highlights the importance of women and what they go through. Upon checking the national calendar, we also share the day protesting child labor, sweatshop working conditions, and demanding women’s suffrage. The nineteenth amendment has brought us far! 

You may be wondering about the difference between international and national holidays. A national day is country-wide such as relations between provinces. An international day includes relations that are shared for those between other countries. International Women’s Day is one such holiday!

According to the United States Census Bureau, “Women’s History Week was instituted in 1978 in an effort to begin adding women’s history into educational curricula.” This means that in the late 1900’s, Women’s History Day became a national day to recognize all people who identify as women. The same website states, “National Women’s History Project successfully petitioned Congress to include all of March as a celebration of the economic, political and social contributions of women.” This explains that International Women’s Day can be considered International Women’s Month, depending on what it is identified as. This day is meant to empower women everywhere. 

Since the year 2000, the jobs women have in their career have differed greatly from then to now. Most commonly, women are educators or teachers in schools. Some occupations can be presumed to be “women’s jobs,” but you would be surprised about how many more women started to work in more “manly jobs.” For example, from 2000 to 2019, the number of women construction workers has increased. Though not as dramatically as veterinarians, a good amount of women have taken up those jobs compared from then to now. This is an important day to recognize the progress made towards gender equality and to advocate for a more inclusive society. 

To sum up this international day, the importance of women is recognized in the month of March. Take some time to recognize women in your life for everything they have done for you! But also remember there is more to recognize than just women. There is protesting child labor, sweatshop working conditions, and demanding women’s suffrage!