Happy International Women's Day

From New York to Beijing, women have been demanding their rights on this day for more than a century. Much remains to be done, say activists, ...

“A day to commemorate the gains of women’s rights is in itself the triggering of change. “There is now a tendency to identify the one group we believe is at risk, hone in on that and deprioritise the rest. “What we’ve found about International Women’s Day is its fluidity and the way it adapts to present day concerns. “It goes to show how politicised the women’s rights agenda has become, and also the backlash against gender equality we are witnessing in many parts of the world.” “We are seeing an increased crackdown on women’s attempts to organise rallies and mark International Women’s Day,” she says. In April 2018, five men had been acquitted of rape in what became known as [the “wolf pack” case](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/23/wolf-pack-case-spain-feminism-far-right-vox). It’s because of the fight and positions women have taken that [led to] one of the [most progressive decisions on reproductive rights](https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/feb/22/colombia-legalises-abortion-in-move-celebrated-as-historic-victory-by-campaigners).” Macarena Sáez, the executive director of the women’s rights division of Human Rights Watch, says protests across Latin America have brought issues to the fore and put pressure on authorities to change laws. Four days later, the tsar was forced to abdicate, and the provisional government granted women the right to vote. A year later, the Socialist Party of America declared a Women’s Day. She proposed a celebration on the same day every year to press for demands. Jamaica will see the [first all-female sitting of parliament](https://jis.gov.jm/fw-all-young-female-parliament-for-international-womens-day-2023/).