International Women's Day 2024: Date, Theme, History, Significance & IWD Quotes

International Women's Day 2024 theme is 'Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.'

Saima Andrabi
Lifestyle
Updated:
<div class="paragraphs"><p>International Women's Day 2024: Date, History, Significance, and Quotes.</p></div>
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International Women's Day 2024: Date, History, Significance, and Quotes.

(Photo: iStock)

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International Women's Day is observed on 8 March, every year. The day is dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the achievements of women across different social, economic, cultural, and political spheres. The day also serves as a reminder of the need to continually strive for gender equality and to promote social change.

Various International Women's Day activities are organised around the world to take part in the celebrations of the day. These activities include acknowledging women's achievements, advocating for women's rights, and supporting organizations dedicated to women's causes. International Women's Day is a significant day to promote gender equality and social change.

International Women's Day 2024 Date

International Women's Day is celebrated every year on 8 March. This year, it falls on Friday.

Theme of International Women's Day 2024

Every year, Women's Day is celebrated under a specific theme. This year, the theme of International Women's Day 2024 is "Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress."

History of International Women's Day 

International Women's Day, observed annually on 8 March, holds a rich history and profound significance in the ongoing struggle for gender equality. Its roots can be traced back to the early 1900s, when women in New York City took to the streets to demand better working conditions, shorter hours, better pay, and voting rights. Their courageous actions sparked a movement that would eventually lead to the establishment of International Women's Day.

In 1909, the Socialist Party of America declared the first National Woman's Day, recognizing the need for a unified celebration across the United States. The following year, women continued this tradition on the last Sunday of February until 1913 when the first Sunday in February was officially designated as International Women's Day.

Today, this momentous occasion is celebrated by more than 100 countries worldwide, serving as a reminder of the progress achieved in the fight for gender equality while also shedding light on the persistent challenges and inequalities that women continue to face.

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Significance of International Women's Day 2024

The significance of International Women's Day lies in its dual role as a celebration and a call to action. It provides an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world. It also serves as a poignant reminder of the work that still needs to be done to address systemic barriers and discrimination that women encounter.

International Women's Day is a powerful platform to raise awareness about the challenges and inequalities that women face, such as gender-based violence, unequal access to education and healthcare, and limited economic opportunities. It is a time to reflect on the progress that has been made and to recommit ourselves to working towards solutions that promote gender equality and empower women and girls.

By celebrating International Women's Day, we honor the achievements of women and recommit ourselves to the ongoing struggle for gender equality.

One of the key challenges in achieving gender equality by 2030 is the alarming lack of financing. There is a staggering USD 360 billion annual deficit in spending on gender-equality measures. This deficit must be addressed urgently to ensure women's and girls' rights across all aspects of life.

Let us use this occasion to raise awareness, challenge injustices, and work together to create a world where all women and girls can live free from discrimination and violence, and where their rights are fully realized.

International Women's Day Quotes 2024

Here is a list of inspirational and motivational quotes on International Women's Day 2024.

  • Do not live someone else’s life and someone else’s idea of what womanhood is. Womanhood is you. Womanhood is everything inside of you. [Viola Davis].

  • A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman. [Melinda Gates].

  • I raise up my voice, not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard. [Malala Yousafzai].

  • Every woman's success should be an inspiration to another. We're strongest when we cheer each other on. [Serena Williams].

  • As women achieve power, the barriers will fall. As society sees what women can do, as women see what women can do, there will be more women out there doing things, and we’ll all be better off for it. [Ruth Bader Ginsburg].

  • How wrong it is for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants rather than to create it herself. [Anais Nin].

  • Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others. [Amelia Earhart].

  • Feminism isn’t about making women strong. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength." [G.D. Anderson].

  • "I am woman phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that’s me." [Maya Angelou].

  • At some point in a woman’s life, she just gets tired of being ashamed all the time. After that, she is free to become whoever she truly is. [Elizabeth Gilbert].

(Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated by AI and published after the content was editorially modified and verified by a human based on their own judgement and expertise. The Quint does not publish AI-generated content without direct human involvement and oversight).

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Published: 04 Mar 2024,01:18 PM IST

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