International Women’s Day was adopted in 1975 by the United Nations. This year, the UN focus is on activism transforming women’s lives, throughout the globe:

“The theme for International Women’s Day, 8 March, is “Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives”.

This year, International Women’s Day comes on the heels of unprecedented global movement for women’s rights, equality and justice. This has taken the form of global marches and campaigns, including #MeToo and #TimesUp in the United States of America and their counterparts in other countries, on issues ranging from sexual harassment and femicide to equal pay and women’s political representation.

Echoing the priority theme of the upcoming 62nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, International Women’s Day will also draw attention to the rights and activism of rural women, who make up over a quarter of the world population, and are being left behind in every measure of development.

Join us to transform the momentum into action, to empower women in all settings, rural and urban, and to celebrate the activists who are working relentlessly to claim women’s rights and realize their full potential.

The #TimeisNow.” http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/international-womens-day 

There are several good articles devoted to International Women’s Day, offering perspective and encouragement by examining women across the spectrum who have achieved significant “firsts”, leading the way in the arts, sciences, literature, education, government, media, industry, sports, and in all walks of human endeavor, inspiring  admiration and confidence:  https://www.thelily.com/this-international-womens-day-pay-respect-to-these-31-inspiring-figures/

BBC focuses on International Women’s Day by declaring “Eight moments that make it the Year of the Woman”:  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-43286485

Finally, the New York Times admits that it has not always acknowledged the stories of forerunners who also happened to be great women, and belatedly examines their contributions to changing this world for the better by noting their achievements in long-overdue obituaries:  https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/obituaries/overlooked.html

Celebrate International Women’s Day!