International Ladies Day

International Women’s Day is a worldwide event that has been observed since the early 1900s.  It is held on 8 March each year and is a means of recognising women’s achievements across the board –political and social – and to campaign for gender equality.   It is not confined to a single group, but governments, women's organisations, corporations and charities around the world mark the Day with arts performances, talks, rallies, networking events, conferences and marches.

As a progressive club that welcomes women as well as men, Rotary Club of Rushden proposes to hold an event on 8 March 2021 with an interesting guest speaker (more details to follow) .  The Rotary Club of Rushden International Ladies’ Day lunch is aimed at raising awareness of women in Rotary and breaking the stereotype that Rotary is ‘just for men’.  

Rotary is for everyone interested in giving something back to their local community or in providing overseas aid where it is needed.  Your enthusiasm, coupled with the skills, experience and ideas you will bring to the Club will help it thrive and so much more will be achieved.  You will also have fun and make some strong and lasting friendships along the way. 

Hopefully the Lunch will lead to more people, irrespective of gender, getting involved.  

                                                            _____________

Where did IWD start?  The original Ladies Day was in 1908 when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding voting rights, better pay and shorter working hours.  In 1910, Clara Zetkin (leader of the ‘women’s office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled a proposal that International Women’s Day should be observed in every country on one day every year to push for their demands. 

This was agreed at a conference of more than 100 women from 17 countries, and, IWD was celebrated in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland for the first time on 19 March 1911.  8 March was fixed as the officially recognised day in 1913.