来源：个人博客
International Womens Day (IWD) occurs on 8 March annually and is an occasion marked by womens groups around the world. The first IWD was held on 19 March 1911 in Germany, Austria, Denmark and other European countries. German women chose this day because on this date in 1848 the Prussian king, faced with an armed uprising, had promised many reforms, including an unfulfilled one of votes for women.
In 1975, during International Womens Year, the United Nations began celebrating 8 March as International Womens Day. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Womens Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions. For the United Nations, International Womens Day has been observed on 8 March since 1975. The Day is traditionally marked with a message from the Secretary-General.
IWD today is an opportunity for women to come together and look back on a rich history of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development and to support this work in the present and future.
The symbolic meaning of IWD
For the women of the world, the Days symbolism has a wider meaning: It is an occasion to review how far the women have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development. It is also an opportunity to unite, network and mobilize for meaningful change.
The reason why the UN dedicates a day exclusively to the celebration of the worlds women
In adopting its resolution on the observance of Womens Day, the General Assembly cited two reasons: to recognize the fact that securing peace and social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms require the active participation, equality and development of women; and to acknowledge the contribution of women to the strengthening of international peace and security.
A brief chronology of the most important events:
1909
In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Womans Day was observed across the United States on 28 February. Women continued to celebrate it on the last Sunday of that month through 1913.
1910
The Socialist International, meeting in Copenhagen, established a Womens Day, international in character, to honour the movement for womens rights and to assist in achieving universal suffrage for women. The proposal was greeted with unanimous approval by the conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, which included the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament. No fixed date was selected for the observance.
1911
As a result of the decision taken at Copenhagen the previous year, International Womens Day was marked for the first time (19 March) in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, where more than one million women and men attended rallies. In addition to the right to vote and to hold public office, they demanded the right to work, to vocational training and to an end to discrimination on the job.
Less than a week later, on 25 March, the tragic Triangle Fire in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working girls, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This event had a significant impact on labour legislation in the United States, and the working conditions leading up to the disaster were invoked during subsequent observances of International Womens Day.
1913-1914
As part of the peace movement brewing on the eve of World War I, Russian women observed their first International Womens Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. Elsewhere in Europe, on or around 8 March of the following year, women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with their sisters.
1917
With 2 million Russian soldiers dead in the war, Russian women again chose the last Sunday in February to strike for "bread and peace". Political leaders opposed the timing of the strike, but the women went on anyway. The rest is history: Four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. That historic Sunday fell on 23 February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia, but on 8 March on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere.
1975
During International Womens Year, the United Nations began celebrating 8 March as International Womens Day.
1977
In December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Womens Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions.
Themes for International Womens Day
IWD 2007: "Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls"
IWD 2006: "Women in decision-making"
IWD 2005: "Gender Equality Beyond 2005: Building a More Secure Future"
IWD 2004: "Women and HIV/AIDS"
IWD 2003: "Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goal"
IWD 2002: "Afghan Women Today: Realities and Opportunity"
IWD 2001: "Women and Peace: Women Managing Conflicts"
IWD 2000: "Women Uniting for Peace"
IWD 1999: "World Free of Violence Against Women"
IWD 1998: "Women and Human Rights"
IWD 1997: "Women at the Peace Table"
IWD 1996: "Celebrating the Past, Planning for the future"
每年的3月8日为国际妇女节，是全世界妇女组织庆祝的节日。第一个国际妇女节与1911年3月19日在德国、丹麦和其它欧洲国家举行。德国妇女之所以选择这天是因为在1848年的这天普鲁士国王在面对武装起义时不得不答应许多改革，包括未能履行的妇女的选举权。
在1975年，即国际妇女年，联合国开始将3月8日当作妇女节来庆祝。二年后，在1977年12月，联大采纳了一项决议，决议号召会员国按照他们历史和民族的传统在某一天纪念“联合国妇女权益和国际和平日”。对于联合国来说，从1975年以来就在3月8日庆祝国际妇女节。按照传统，这节日随着秘书长所发布的祝词而开始庆祝。现在的国际妇女节为妇女提供了机会以进行聚会和回顾为平等、公正、和平和发展的丰富历史以及支持现在和将来的这项工作。
● 妇女节的象征意义：
对于全世界妇女来说，这个节日的具有更广泛的象征意义：本节日提供了一个时机，以回顾妇女进行要求平等、和平和发展的斗争到了什么程度。本节日也是一个为了有意义的变革而团结、联络和动员的机会。
● 联合国专门指定一天用于全世界妇女庆祝的原因：
在采纳关于庆祝妇女节的决议时，联大列举了两个原因：认识到维护和平和社会进步及充分地享受人权及基本自由需要妇女的积极参与、平等和发展这个事实；承认妇女对加强国际和平和安全所做出的贡献。
● 最重大的事件简明年表：
1909年
依照美国社会党的一个庆祝活动，于2月28日在全美国庆祝第一个国家妇女节。妇女继续在每年二月的最后一个星期日举行庆祝活动，直到1913年。
1910年
社会主义国际在哥本哈根举行会议，确立了一个妇女节，其本质是国际性的，为了妇女的权益和帮助获得普遍选举权而举行这一活动。此建议以参加大会的来自17个国家的100名妇女代表大会一致通过而受到欢迎，妇女代表包括被选入芬兰议会的三名妇女。没有固定日期被确定用来庆祝。
1911年：
由于在前一年采用了在哥本哈根作出的决议，第一次于3月19日在澳大利亚、丹麦、德国和瑞士举行，一百多万妇女和男子参加了集会。除了选举和担任公职的权利外，他们要求参加工作、职业培训和结束工作歧视的权利。
还没过了一个星期，在3月25日， 纽约市发生了悲剧性的三角女用衬衫厂火灾，140多名女工被烧死。她们中大部分是意大利和犹太移民。这一事件对美国劳动立法产生了重大影响，逐渐导致灾难的工作环境在后来的国际妇女节庆祝活动中得到援引。
1913-1914年
作为在第一次世界大战前夕酝酿的和平运动的一部分，在1913年2月的最后一个星期日庆祝了她们的第一个国际妇女节。在下一年，在欧洲的其它地方，在3月8日或其前后，妇女举行集会，或者抗议战争，或者表示与她们姐妹们的团结。
1917年
随着二百万俄罗斯士兵死于战争，俄罗斯妇女再次选择2月份的最后一个星期日为“面包和和平”而罢工。政府行政领导反对罢工的时间选择，但妇女们无论如何继续下去。其余为历史：四天以后，沙皇被迫退位，临时政府准许了妇女选举权利。那个历史性的星期日在俄罗斯那时使用的儒略历2月23日来临，格里历的3月8日在其它地方被采用。
1975年
在国际妇女年期间，联合国开始将3月8日当作国际妇女节来庆祝。
1977年
1977年12月，联大采纳了一项决议，决议号召会员国按照他们历史和民族的传统在某一天纪念“联合国妇女权益和国际和平日”。
● 过去的国际妇女节主题：
2007年：“终止暴力侵害妇女和女孩行为不受惩罚的情况”
2006年：“妇女决策中的角色”
2005年：“2005年后性平等：建设更加安全的未来”
2004年：“妇女和艾滋病”
2003年：“性平等和千年发展目标”
2002年：“今天的阿富汗妇女：现实和机会”
2001年：“妇女与和平：妇女处理冲突”
2000年：“妇女为和平而团结起来”
1999年：“全世界消除对妇女的暴力”
1998年：“妇女与人类奋斗”
1997年：“妇女坐在和谈桌旁”
1996年：“庆贺过去，规划未来”
