“As a woman I have no country.
As a woman I want no country.
As a woman, my country is the whole world.”
— Virginia Woolf
On March 8, 1857, in New York, women who worked at the textile plants marched through the streets, protesting low salaries and poor working conditions. This protest became known as “the march of the empty pans.”
On this day in 1908, more than 15,000 women went through streets of the city demanding the prohibition of child labor, better working conditions in factories and the right to vote. The following year, the Socialist Party of America declared the last Sunday in February as National Women's Day. In 1910 in Copenhagen at the International Conference of Women, Clara Zetkin proposed celebrating March 8 annually as theInternational Women's Dayin memory of the old New York events.
Unfortunately, this holiday was forgotten in the Western world after the 1930s.
But in post-Soviet countries, this day has been celebrated since 1913. Moreover, in 1966 it became an official holiday and a day off. But in the course of the time, this holiday lost its political sense that Soviets were putting into it and became the spring holiday of women’s beauty.
That’s how, with the help of American protesting women, 32 countries all over the world officially celebrate today, March 8, as International Women’s Day.
Particularly in Ukraine, this holiday is exactly that perfect day all women are dreaming about (if you have men near you, of course). Children get presents for their mothers, grandmothers and all close female relatives. Fathers, brothers and sons present you with flowers and chocolate, jewelry and perfumes (depending on thickness of their wallet). Male co-workers and schoolmates will give you another useless tool that will complete your collection of the “I will never use this because I don’t know how” things on your desk. Husbands and boyfriends will do all possible housework, they will cook a delicious dinner, let you go party with your girlfriends without any control for the whole night. They will make your secret dreams come true and so on.
But there is another side of the coin. After the 8th of March, the 9th of March will come, and then watch out for the men's revenge!
These are little pros and cons of the holiday America forgot about, but the main theme of it of course is the fact that women are the greatest creatures in the world that inspire men for the noble doings and then prevent them from doing it; that women are prone to slavery, but at the same time they tend to enslave; that there would be nothing in the world without women, and men should be thankful, caring and admiring to females.
Happy 8th of March, dear women! I hope this article will inspire your men to make an extra treat for you, even though we are not in Ukraine!
