International Womens Day falls on March 8th, and this year it’s a Monday. To mark this special day here at Dental Excel, we will be wearing purple and green and giving away free pamper bags to all our female patients – sorry fella’s!
International Womens Day is celebrated every year in Australia and all over the world in many ways. A traditional day for celebrating women’s rights, it is a popular time for fundraising for women’s charities. IWD is also used as a platform for raising awareness about gender equality and highlighting other issues that affect women.
The history of International Womens Day
IWD was recognised and celebrated on March 8th in 1975 by the United Nations during International Women’s Year. Since then, it has kept the date and gained ground as a worldwide day to recognise and celebrate women.
The roots of IWD go back much further, however. The United Nations research showed that it started in America as National Women’s Day in February 1909. The Socialist Party of America recognised the plight of protesting workers during the previous year, who campaigned for better working conditions. The following year saw the introduction of Women’s Day many miles away in Denmark and this centred around the continuing fight for suffrage.
IWD caught on across Europe and by 1911 more than one million people gathered on March 19th to mark International Women’s Day. Rallies were organised in support of working conditions, pay, rights and representation. Today, IWD has its own logo and is supported by millions of individuals, businesses and organisations all over the world.
IWD at Dental Excel
At all five Dental Excel locations, we will be supporting and celebrating International Womens Day with you. We will be wearing purple and green and raising our hands in support of this years’ theme #ChooseToChallenge and we’ll be giving every female patient a mini pamper pack to mark her day. Find out more about IWD on the official website here.
The UN also have a theme for IWD this year to highlight the COVID-19 pandemic and dedication from women. Women in Leadership – Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world. Find out more about this years’ UN focus for IWD here.
How are you celebrating International Women’s Day this year? Head on over to our Facebook page and let us know – send us your IWD photos.