Here are 20+ interesting facts about International Women's Day (IWD) 2025

Here are 20+ interesting facts about International Women's Day (IWD):

History & Origins

1. First Celebration (1911): The first official International Women's Day was celebrated on March 19, 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland.
2. Date Change to March 8: In 1913, the date was moved to March 8, and it has remained the same ever since.
3. Inspired by Socialist Movements: The idea for IWD was inspired by the women’s suffrage and labor movements in the early 20th century.
4. Clara Zetkin’s Role: A German activist, Clara Zetkin, proposed the idea of an international day for women in 1910 at the International Socialist Women’s Conference in Copenhagen.

Global Recognition & Celebration

5. UN Official Recognition (1975): The United Nations officially recognized IWD in 1975, which was also declared International Women's Year.
6. Annual Themes by the UN: Since 1996, the UN has introduced a theme each year, such as "Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow" (2022).
7. National Holidays in Many Countries: IWD is an official public holiday in over 25 countries, including Russia, China, and Vietnam.
8. Different Ways of Celebration: In Italy, women receive mimosa flowers; in Russia, men give chocolates and flowers; in China, many women get a half-day off work.
9. Not Always a Feminist Celebration: Some countries focus more on honoring women with gifts rather than addressing gender equality issues.

Women's Achievements & Rights

10. The First Woman to Win a Nobel Prize: Marie Curie was the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize in Physics (1903) and later won another in Chemistry (1911).
11. Women Couldn’t Vote in Many Countries Until the 20th Century: Switzerland granted full voting rights to women only in 1971.
12. First Country to Give Women Voting Rights: New Zealand (1893) was the first country to allow women to vote.
13. First Female Head of State: Khertek Anchimaa-Toka of the Tuvan People's Republic (1940) is considered one of the first female heads of state.
14. First Woman in Space: Valentina Tereshkova (1963) was the first woman to travel to space.

Modern-Day Impact

15. Social Media Impact: Hashtags like #IWD, #EachForEqual, and #EmbraceEquity trend worldwide on March 8.
16. Economic Importance: Studies show that closing the gender pay gap could add $12 trillion to the global economy.
17. Persistent Wage Gap: On average, women still earn less than men for the same work in many countries.
18. UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal 5 focuses on achieving gender equality by 2030.
19. Tech & Science Gender Gap: Women hold only 28% of STEM jobs worldwide.
20. Violence Against Women: Around 1 in 3 women globally experience physical or sexual violence.

Fun & Surprising Facts

21. Google Doodles for IWD: Since 2010, Google has created special Doodles every March 8 to honor women’s achievements.
22. The Color of IWD: Purple represents justice and dignity, green symbolizes hope, and white stands for purity (historically used by suffragettes).
23. Longest Women's Strike: In 1975, 90% of women in Iceland went on strike for gender equality—this led to the election of the world’s first female president, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir.

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