International Women's Day, Women's History Month 101: What you need to know about the celebration

Future discussions agreed to make March 8 the official International Women's Day worldwide, and it was in 1975 that the event gained ground when the United Nations officially recognized its celebration.

From Women's History Week to Women's History Month

During the International Women's Day centenary in 2011, then-United States president Barack Obama announced that that year's March should be known as Women's History Month, calling on Americans to reflect on the "extraordinary accomplishments" of women in shaping their history.

But according to History's website, Women's History Month emerged from a 1978 weeklong celebration of dozens of schools in Sonoma in California, where it honored women's contributions to culture, history, and society. The schools held presentations, hosted essay contests, and organized a parade.

The idea, then, propagated across communities in the U.S. and held their respective celebrations.

Things were made official in 1980, when President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8 as National Women's History Week. The U.S. Congress also passed a resolution for the celebration next year.

The National Women's History Alliance has been organizing annual activities for the week-long celebration. Since the dates of the week of March 8 were changing every year, proposals were made to just expand the celebration to the entire month.

By 1986, 14 states already declared March as Women’s History Month. This prompted the U.S. Congress to declare March as the National Women's History Month in 1987.

Legal mandate in the Philippines

The late president Cory Aquino signed three laws to serve as legal bases for the celebration, known locally as National Women's Month.

She signed a few proclamations between 1988 and 1990, including one where Aquino declared the first week of March every year as Women's Week and March 8 as Women's Rights and International Peace Day.

Official colors

Colors also play a role in this celebration. Purple, green, and white have been the traditional colors for International Women's Day, originating from the Women's Social and Political Union in the United Kingdom in 1908.

"Purple signifies justice and dignity. Green symbolizes hope," the IWD website said. "White represents purity, albeit a controversial concept," pertaining to chastity.

Themes

Each year’s celebration is centered on a theme.

For 2024, the International Women's Day (IWD) website launched "Inspire Inclusion," which emphasizes the importance of diversity and empowerment in all aspects of society to achieve gender equality.

The IWD noted that women, especially in the underrepresented groups, continue to face barriers when seeking leadership roles. By championing inclusion, it said organizations and communities can harness the full potential of diverse perspectives, leading to better decision-making and innovation.

It gave a shout-out to the entertainment industry, saying filmmakers have a "significant influence" on shaping societal perceptions and attitudes by telling diverse stories and showcasing the experiences of women from diverse backgrounds.

"In recent years, there has been a growing movement within the film industry to prioritize inclusion and representation," it said. "However, there is still much work to be done to ensure that women from all backgrounds have equal opportunities to participate and succeed in the industry."

The website called for initiatives like mentorship programs, educational workshops, and advocacy campaigns to allow individuals and organizations "to create opportunities for women to thrive."

Last 2023, it used the hashtag #EmbraceEquity for its campaign. It pointed out how equity is often used interchangeably with equality though have different meanings.

The United Nations (UN) meanwhile, launched the theme "Invest in women: Accelerate progress."

The UN identified key areas that need support more than ever, especially since there's an "alarming $360 billion annual deficit in gender-equality measures by 2030."

It called for investments to alleviate poverty that has affected over 342 million women and girls, especially at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; to curb rising prices that deprive women and their essential services; to move to a green or environmental economy to amplify women's voices, and; to support feminist organizations for development.

The UN in 2023 used the theme, "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality," pointing out that if women cannot access the internet, more so feel safe online, they're unable to develop the necessary digital skills to engage in digital spaces.

For its part, the Philippine Commission on Women Board Members and Inter-Agency Technical Working Group set the local theme "WE for gender equality and inclusive society" from 2023 to 2028.

The theme, according to the PCW website, "sparks a renewed commitment to the advocacy and banks on the gains achieved during the 2016 to 2022 theme, WE Make CHANGE Work for Women." The latter emphasized the need for compassionate and harmonized networks toward gender equality and women empowerment.

The celebration, the PCW said, is a testament to the milestones achieved in closing gender gaps in the country and in gathering more support for the advocacy.