Commemorating International Women’s Day

Graphic by Vanessa Vega
Editor’s note: this is the first of a series about commemorating women’s history month this March 2024.

“Mourn but also revolution,” said an anonymous UTRGV student to describe what women’s history month and international women’s day means to them. 

March has been commemorated as women’s history month in the United States since the late 1970s. According to UTRGV Interdisciplinary Studies Assistant Professor, Silvia Solis, several groups of women from the third wave of feminism demanded recognition by the American Congress, as a nation-wide commemoration. 

Former president Jimmy Carter proclaimed March 8 as women’s day, and around 1987 Congress declared March as a month to honor women’s role in social justice and celebrate their achievements in history.

Based on United Nations archives, the day was internationally recognized in 1977. However, Solis emphasized that this recognition stems from “El Día de la Mujer,” a day first commemorated in Mexico and Latin America. 

In a poll conducted on Pulse magazine’s instagram, 89% of respondents said they were looking forward to today to commemorate the International Women’s Day.

“Other than a celebration, it’s more educational,” Solis said. “To educate ourselves on all the historic movements fighting for labor rights, reproductive rights, among others to bring them to the forefront of history.” 

International Women’s Day is not only about global recognition and celebration of the fight for women’s rights, but also a window of opportunity that opens up to learn about feminist movements and root for the female role models of society, even after the month is over, Solis said. 

The National Women’s History Alliance has historically taken the lead on designating a yearly theme and ‘setting the agenda’ for the month of women’s celebration in American history. 

The NWHA’s theme this year is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.” 

According to news media and Solis’s experiences through the perspective of feminism in Mexico, “El Día de la Mujer,” is about women organizing, marching, and protesting for their rights. 

“Here in the U.S. it’s almost kind of watered down, a little bit more of a celebratory holiday,” Solis said. “I think it’s in large part because of our social institutions.”

Nevertheless, in 2017 and during former president Donald Trump’s term, women around the country convened the ‘Women’s March’ as they felt challenged by the social institutions of the presidential term. They marched for gender equality and civil rights. 

The ‘Women’s March,’ set a precedent for contemporary feminist branches to date. The organization holds political power of women and it plans diverse protests, such as their annual march for reproductive freedom on March 26th, according to their website. 

International Women’s Day commemorates the fight for gender equity as well as the celebration of women’s achievements and contributions throughout society’s history are celebrated worldwide.