Women's Day is a very important celebration held each year in many countries all over the world. It is very common to tell the story of the fire in the Cotton factory in New York where dozenz of workers, who were prevented from escaping, died. Anyway, the origin of this day is not exclusively related to this tragical event.
Women's Day dates back to 1909, a year after the mysterious fire that devastated the factory. The reason that led the American Socialist Party to establish this anniversary was a great demonstration in favor of the right to vote to all women. 15,000 women took the streets of New York City to march for voting rights, shorter hours and fair pay. After 1909 many other states have established a day dedicated to women. Even in Italy, on March 8, 1946 there was the first official celebration and the mimosa flower was chosen as a symbol of the festival.
Even if today March 8 is celebrated by giving flowers, drinking cocktails and making women feel special, we always remember that behind this happy day there are centuries of social struggle.
Gabriele Garieri, 3AP Agrarian School/ IIS Enzo Ferrari Italy, Teacher Valentina Fera
International Women's Day is celebrated every year on March 8th. The aim of Women's Day is to remember the political, social and economic achievements of women and the violence they have suffered in history.
The history of the women's celebration dates back to the early twentieth century: the choice of 8 March is related to a tragedy that happened in 1908. On that day, the workers of a textile industry in New York were killed by a fire . The fire of 1908, however, was confused with another fire in the same city, which occurred in 1911 and where 146 victims were recorded, including many women.
The facts that really led to the establishment of Women's Day are actually more linked to the claim of women's rights, including the right to vote.
Mattia Ponteduro, 3AP Agrarian School/ IIS ENZO FERRARI, ITALY Teacher: Valentina Fera
International Women’s day is an important celebration held each year on march 8th to celebrate women all over the world. It is fundamental to remember the principle of gender equality, as expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that provides that people receive equal treatment, with equal right of access to resources and opportunities, regardless of gender.
Since women have become fully aware of their rights, the situation has improved considerably but full equality between men and women, from a legal and social point of view, is still very far. The situation is more serious in developing countries, where there is still a rigid patriarchal structure and numerous taboos. Women have less possibility in making decisions in social, political and economic issues, and they are often victims of violence, discrimination and exclusion. In many countries of the world, also because of religion, women are reduced to a subordinate role compared to men, and they are considered only as wives and mothers that have to take care of children.
Thanks to the feminist movements and the implementation of equal social policies the gap between men and women is decreasing but there is still a lot to do. I think that the International Women’s day is a great occasion to remember that women and men have the same importance in society.
Nicoletta Bertucci, 1B Liceo Linguistico/ IIS ENZO FERRARI, ITALY- Teacher: Valentina Fera
International Women's Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements in society. The first National Women's Day was observed in the United States on 28 February 1909. The Socialist Party of America designated this day in honour of the 1908 workers' strike in New York. On that day, women protested against their working conditions .
Despite the years of struggles and gradual conquests, the discrimination of women is one of the most serious negative phenomena affecting our society because disparity between men and women is a problem present everywhere in particular in field of work. Even if women work and have the possibility of choosing their own destiny, it is hard for them to hold important positions.
In conclusion, there is no doubt that important achievements have been reached, but these conquests do not completely cancel the gender differences still present.
Salvatore Carchidi 3 AP IIS ENZO FERRARI, ITALY Teacher: Valentina Fera
On International Women’s Day or, commonly called La Festa della Donna in Italy, the importance of women is celebrated by the giving and receiving of mimosa.
Mimosa is a plant belonging to the Mimosacea family, which was imported into Europe at the beginning of the 19th century: originally from Australia where it found the ideal climate to grow and develop. In Italy, the twig of mimosa was associated with March 8 from 1946, when it was offered to women for the International Day on the initiative of the communist parliamentarian Teresa Mattei. The flowers of mimosa have a precise meaning: strength and femininity, for this reason they are the symbol of the Women's Day. Another reason is that they flourish at just the right time. In our country mimosa also grows spontaneously and it is therefore considered an economic flower affordable for everyone.
In conclusion, these lively and cheerful yellow flowers have become the symbol of the International Women's Day for their ability to flourish even in difficult environmental conditions . They are associated with female history and therefore with the resilience of women, able to get up after every difficulty. They also symbolize the struggle for rights and gender equality.
Francesca Sestito, 3AP Agrarian School , IIS ENZO FERRARI, ITALY Teacher: Valentina Fera
International Women's day is an important celebration to remember that women and men should be equal and respected in the same way. There are many achievements concerning their role in our society.
In 2015, for instance, UN countries adopted the "Agenda 2030" for a sustainable development. Among its 17 sustainable development goals, there is Goal 5 that is dedicated to women. The goal aims at achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls and states that gender is not just a human rights issue.
Some of the targets are : end discrimination and all violence against women and girls, eliminate forced marriages and genital mutilation, ensure full participation in leadership and decision-making, promote empowerment of women through technology
I hope that all these targets will be achieved.
Maria Teresa Perruccio, 3AP Agrarian School, IIS Enzo Ferrari Chiaravalle, Italy Teacher: Valentina Fera