• Adoption and Guardianship
• Appeal Panels
• Bullying
• Child Care
• Child Welfare
• Child Sexual Exploitation
• Family Support for Children with Disabilities
• Family and Community Support
• Family Violence
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
• Foster Care and Kinship Care
• Internet Safety
• Parenting
• Women's Issues
  • Aboriginal Women and Violence
  • Important Days of the Year
  • Persons Case Scholarship
  • Violence Against Women
  • Women's Organization Directory
• Youth Programs

International Women's Day

International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 by millions of women around the world. Each year, events such as rallies, fairs, marches, panel discussions, plays, films and receptions are held to celebrate the achievements of women. International Women's Day has come to be one of the most important symbols of women's efforts to achieve equality.

The origins of IWD can be traced to labour strikes in both 1857 and 1908 in New York City. Workers were protesting the overcrowded, dangerous working conditions and exploitative wages of women employed in the textile industry. After the 1908 strike, women's rights and suffrage also became issues of concern. The first International Women's Day was celebrated in many countries on March 8, 1911, with the theme of  "Universal Female Suffrage". In 1977, the United Nations urged countries to set aside a day to celebrate women's rights and international peace.

International Women's Day began as an event to draw attention to the plight of working women. However, in many countries, including Canada, it has become an opportunity to reflect on women's progress in all fields of endeavour. International Women's Day is supported by communities, organizations, labour unions and governments at all levels. While March 8 is a day to commemorate the past, it also provides opportunities to celebrate achievements and to look forward and reaffirm a commitment to continued progress.

The symbols for International Women's Day are bread and roses. Bread represents women's struggle for economic equality while roses represent women's continuing efforts for a better quality of life.