Dear PPSEAWA-Japan members,
March 8th is the “UN International Women’s Day”. You can see pretty bouquets of yellow Mimozas, the symbol of Women’s Day, in neighborhood flower shops. In Japan, “Women’s Day” has begun to be recognized in recent years but hasn’t permeated yet.
The UN designates specific “International Days” for commemoration, in order to inspire public opinion, and encourage member states to address serious issues around the globe. Women’s Day is one of them.
It all goes back to March 8, 1908, when women laborers organized a demonstration in New York, demanding the improvement of working conditions. German socialist Clara Zetkin took note of this and proposed that this day would commemorate the fight for political freedom and equality for women at the 1910 Socialist Conference in Copenhagen. And in 1975 at the first World Women’s Conference in Beijing, the United Nations officially declared that March 8th would be International Women’s Day.
There are 25 states which now make March 8th a national holiday. In Italy, women enjoy exchanging Mimosas with one another. The US dedicates the whole month of March as Women’s Day.
Moving forward, let us reflect on how we could contribute to the improvement of women’s issues and society as a whole.”
Sonoko Nishitateno
President of PPSEAWA-Japan