Ultra Violet was announced as 2018’s Color of the Year.  Perhaps choosing this color was an omen for the year to come.  Purple is a color that signifies justice and dignity, and it is the international color used to symbolize women.  From the way the year has begun, with movements such as #MeToo, #TimesUp, #HereWeAre, etc., it is no doubt 2018 will be the year of the woman.  March 8 is International Women’s Day.  It is a day internationally designated to celebrate women and their achievements as a whole, regardless of any ethnic, cultural, economic or political backgrounds.  Wearing purple on March 8 is a simple way to show support for all women. 

The first National Women’s Day was observed on February 28, 1909 in New York.  It was organized by the Socialist Party of America, in honour of the garment worker’s strike, where women protested poor working conditions.  A year later in 1910, the Socialist International established an international Women’s Day to help build support for women to achieve universal suffrage.  As a result, in 1911, March 19th was used to celebrate women in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.  After women gained suffrage in Russia in 1917, March 8th became a national holiday there.  During International Women’s Year in 1975, the United Nations adopted the date of March 8  to celebrate International Women’s Day.  In 1977 the UN General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8th as a universal day for women’s rights and world peace.

Though the Charter of the United Nations signed the first international agreement to promote equal rights for men and women in 1945, true progress has been slow.  Women still only earn about 77 percent of their male counterparts. Men outnumber women by 4 to 1 in technology jobs.  Less than 5 percent of CEO positions at S& P 500 companies are women. Sixty two million girls around the world are denied an education. Every year approximately 15 million girls under the age of 18 are married off against their will. Women are at higher risk of sexual assault, rape, domestic violence, and human trafficking. It has been 73 years since the agreement was signed, why hasn’t it been effective?  Perhaps that is why this year’s theme for International Women’s Day is #PressforProgress. 

Besides wearing purple, there are many ways to get involved, take action and support International Women’s Day and women everywhere.  For more information you can head to www.internationalwomensday.com.

It's time we make some progress.  It's time for change.