Activists Take the Streets on March 8 for Intl. Women's Day

Originating more than 100 years ago, International Women's Day or Working Women's Day celebrates the political, economic and social gains of women won through struggle.

On March 8, 1857, New York women took to the streets to protest dangerous working conditions for women textile workers. Exactly 51 years later, 15,000 women marched through New York demanding shorter hours, the right to vote and an end to child labor.

In New York City, UN Women will observe this date with a March for Gender Equality and Women's Rights, in collaboration with the City of New York, NGO CSW, the Working Group on Girls, the Man-Up Campaign and the UN Women for Peace Association.

UN Women is the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, and works around the world to protect and promote gender equality, the human rights of women and women's empowerment. The march will take place on International Women's Day, March 8, and commemorate the 20-year anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

Although International Women's Day has its origins in the United States, it was not recognized as a day of international significance until 1913. Then, in 1917 in Russia, International Women's Day demonstrations demanding "bread and peace" in response to the 2 million deaths of Russian soldiers in World War I merged with another strike, sparking the revolution to remove the Czar. Subsequently, the provisional government granted women the right to vote. To this day, International Women's Day serves as a reminder that our place is in the streets and that our work is not done.

In the United States and around the world, women have not yet achieved full social, political or economic equality. We continue fighting to keep the gains we have made and mobilizing to demand full equality. This is the way we honor International Women's Day: as a celebration of struggle and a day to look ahead towards continuing to build the struggle for women's equality.

On International Women's Day and throughout the month, WORD (Women Organized to Resist and Defend) will be organizing and supporting rallies, marches, speak-outs, forums, workshops and panels to celebrate the gains, demanding, "Say no to the status quo -- full equality for all women!" Join us in cities across the country Saturday, March 7 - Saturday, March 14.

Join WORD on March 7-14 in a city near you or call an action in your city and add it to the list! Events are being added every day! To list your International Women's Day event, email [email protected].

For more information, visit http://www.defendwomensrights.org/

Event Listing:

Albuquerque, NM?: Speak-out for International Women's Day? Sunday, March 8, 1-3 p.m.? 1st and Central across from the Alvarado Transportation Center ?Sponsored by WORD Albuquerque
?Info: [email protected] or 505-249-1768

Chicago: ?Forum?, Saturday, March 14, 2 p.m.? Location TBD
Sponsored by WORD Chicago
?Info: [email protected] or 773-828-9205

Los Angeles: ?International Women's Day March and Rally in DTLA ?Led by AF3IRM & Ovarian Psyco's? Sunday, March 8, 12 p.m. Los Angeles City Hall: 200 N. Spring St . ?Forum with women from several different wage inequality struggles ?Saturday, March 7, 7 p.m. ?Unitarian Church in Koreatown, 2936 W. 8th St., Los Angeles CA 90005? Co-sponsored by WORD LA?Info: [email protected] or 323-394-3611

New York City: Women Rise Up: 'It Is Our Duty to Fight for Our Freedom' ?Celebrate International Women's Day and Women's History Month ?with Education and Action!? Saturday, March 14, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.? Arts Horizons LeRoy Neiman Art Center, 2785 Frederick Douglass Boulevard?. Childcare will be provided ?Co-sponsored by WORD NYC
?Info: [email protected] or 347-292-WORD (9673)?

San Francisco: ?Still Fighting for Our Rights & Equality? Sunday, March 8, 2 p.m.? 24th and Mission Streets. ?Sponsored by WORD SF?
Info: [email protected] or 415-375-9502

St. Petersburg, Florida?: St. Pete International Women's Day Rally, discussion, performances and more. ?Sunday, March 8th, 2- 5 p.m. ?Demens Landing, Bayshore Drive Southeast?. Sponsored by WORD St. Pete?