Purple banners rippled through the streets of Berlin, Madrid, Buenos Aires and Nairobi as thousands gathered to mark International Women’s Day on March 8. Some marched with children perched on their shoulders. Others carried photographs of women lost to gender-based violence. Many held placards calling for equal pay, justice and dignity.

Across continents, the message was unmistakable: the ongoing fight for gender equality—despite decades of progress—should fill us with hope and pride, motivating continued efforts.

In Latin America, enormous demonstrations demanded justice for victims of femicide. In Europe, rallies focused on the persistent gender pay gap and rising attacks on reproductive rights. In parts of Asia and Africa, activists highlighted the continuing barriers to girls’ education and women’s economic independence.

The marches were both celebratory and defiant. They honoured the generations of women whose struggles opened doors once firmly closed, while warning that those gains remain fragile.

The theme of this year’s observance—”Rights, Justice, Action: For All Women and Girls”—reminds us that recognition alone isn’t enough; societal and individual actions are essential for real change.

As veteran diplomat Anwarul K. Chowdhury reminds us, women’s equality and empowerment are not simply women’s issues.

“They are relevant for humanity as a whole—for all of us,” he says. “This crucial point needs to be internalised by every one of us.”

A Movement Born of Protest

International Women’s Day is a global movement that celebrates women’s achievements and highlights ongoing gender equality challenges, making it essential for all of us to understand its significance.

International Women’s Day has its roots in the turbulent social transformations of the early twentieth century.

Industrialisation had drawn millions of women into factories, yet they worked long hours for lower wages and had little political voice. In cities across Europe and North America, women workers began organising strikes and protests to demand dignity, fair pay, and the right to vote.

In 1910, German socialist activist Clara Zetkin proposed establishing an international day devoted to women’s rights at the International Socialist Women’s Conference in Copenhagen. Her proposal was unanimously adopted.

The following year, demonstrations involving more than a million women and men took place across Europe.

A decisive moment came in 1917, when women workers in Petrograd launched protests demanding “bread and peace.” Their actions helped spark the revolutionary upheavals that reshaped Russia and cemented March 8 as a symbol of women’s political power.

More than half a century later, the United Nations officially recognised International Women’s Day in 1975. Since then, the day has evolved into a global moment of reflection—an annual reminder of how far societies have come and how far they still must go.Subscribe

Progress—and........

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