On Tuesday March 8th people of all genders, all over the world, will be united in celebration of International Women’s Day. A virtual event hosted within the United States will celebrate the achievements of women in business. In Kenya a Fashion show and fair will be the delight of Nairobi.

   In the United Kingdom the Art on Postcard & International Women’s Day Auction will feature miniature postcard sized works of art by female artists. In San Francisco, Amador Valley High School is hosting the Girls Who Code Summit.

   Sarah-Beth Ware, an IB student who juggles schoolwork, vocal performance, and tennis daily, had this to say about the upcoming celebration, “I think that it’s nice that we have a day to honor the accomplishments that women have achieved, especially since they had to bridge the gap between “women’s” and “men’s” spaces to do so.”

   In modern times international women’s day is a celebration of the overachieving women of the current and past years. But the holiday is deeply rooted in rebellion against sexist social norms, multiple waves of feminist effort, and women’s suffrage.

   The precise date of March 8th was established when the Russian International Women’s Day Demonstrations of 1917 were held to protest the horrid conditions of the country caused by war and food shortages.

   On February 23rd these protests were seen all throughout the world. The date for international women’s day comes from the fact that February 23rd was the equivalent of March 8th on the Russian calendar.

   Though there had been many protests such as this in past years, Women were at the forefront of the demonstrations that day, and even disobeyed orders by male revolutionary leaders to wait until May to start protesting. That year, Russia would become the first developed nation to enact suffrage legislation for women and this development was doubtlessly related to the suffrage legislation of the rest of the modern world.

   The most important part of International Women’s Day is the international women, and one of the best ways to commemorate the day is to learn about them. This year has been filled with influential and newsworthy women.

   Jayanti Malik Mora has assumed the responsibility of educating her Indian countrymen about the COVID 19 pandemic and its dangers. Nelly Chatue Diop founded West Africa’s first female run crypto investments platform. When the men of the village had to travel to find work, the women more than picked up the slack and were seen by the Banahara River in India hauling long stalks of bamboo to build a barrier to protect their land during the monsoon season. Role models for young girls everywhere are constantly being noticed and pushed to the forefront of global conflict.

   Despite the excitement created by this day and its celebrations, many don’t know how to celebrate it. Knowing this, several feminist organizations have offered suggestions on what to do on this historical day. One could work to involve men and women who identify beyond the gender binary in the discussion. One could also attend one of the many online panels occurring throughout the day. Everyone cam make a special effort to support women owned local businesses. Donating to charity is another great way to show appreciation.