International Women’s Day 2022: History, this year’s theme. All you need to know

International Women's Day 2022: International Women's Day (IWD), celebrated on March 8, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The women's day has been celebrated for well over a century, with the first one in 1911.

The day marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women's achievements or rally for women's equality.

Marked annually on March 8th, women's day is one of the most important days of the year to celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness about women's equality, lobby for accelerated gender parity and fundraise for female-focused charities.

What's the International Women's Day 2022 theme?

The campaign theme for International Women's Day 2022 is #BreakTheBias. Whether deliberate or unconscious, bias makes it difficult for women to move ahead. Knowing that bias exists isn't enough. Action is needed to level the playing field.

History of International Women's Day

The International Women's Day has been observed since the early 1900's - a time of great turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies.

In 1908, women's oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. Around that time, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.

A year later, in accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman's Day was observed across the US on February 28. Women continued to celebrate NWD on the last Sunday of February until 1913.

In 1910, a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named Clara Zetkin tabled the idea of an International Women's Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day - a Women's Day - to press for their demands. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working women's clubs - and including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament - greeted Zetkin's suggestion with unanimous approval and thus International Women's Day was the result.

Following the decision agreed at Copenhagen in Denmark in 1911, International Women's Day was honoured the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.

What colors symbolize International Women's Day?

Purple, green and white are the colors of International Women's Day. Purple signifies justice and dignity. Green symbolizes hope. White represents purity, albeit a controversial concept. The colors originated from the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in the UK in 1908.