What March 8 really means and how it is celebrated now
DAY AFTER TOMORROWnot only Russia, but the whole world will celebrate International Women's Day. The celebration of March 8 in modern Russia is associated primarily with the extra days off and mandatory flowers and gifts for women, while the original political and social meanings of the date remain almost ignored. However, it was not always the case. We understand how International Women's Day appeared, why today, March 8, is perceived differently than a hundred years ago, and how it can be noted.
Was March 8 always a "women's holiday"?
Yes and no. Two of the main gender-outlined holiday went to modern Russia from Soviet times. February 23 and March 8 were not as unambiguous at the time of their occurrence. 23 invented the number to celebrate in 1922 as the Day of the Red Army and Navy, over time, the name changed twice, and the ones that marked quite deviated from the point. Instead of honoring the soldiers, February 23 gradually turned into a day of singing all men and the idea of masculinity. A similar fate, and March 8. Invented as a symbol of the struggle for gender equality and respect for women's work, the holiday was only a reason to give a woman a gift once again a year, except for her birthday. In modern folklore, the essence of International Women's Day fully expressed the phrase "keep quiet, woman, your day is March 8" (3 million results in the search for "Yandex"), and the most popular joke in "VKontakte" about the holiday is, for example, this video.
How did International Women's Day come about?
The date was invented by the socialist movement. In February 1909, women in New York took to the streets demanding equal pay and giving women the right to vote - it’s amazing that a century later the question of salaries remains open. German socialists and the notorious communist Clara Zetkin for a couple with Rosa Luxemburg next year at the Women's Conference agreed that a holiday was needed that would promote equal rights for women, including suffragistic ideas.
Russia celebrated the celebration in 1913. Women's day was not at all so peaceful as it is now, but was accompanied by rallies and demonstrations. Thus, on February 23, 1917, according to the old style (that is, March 8, in a new way), the textile workers' strike and the subsequent organized march demanding equal rights for women became one of the triggers to a further wave of protests that led to the February Revolution. Coinciding with a date with one of the most important turning points in the history of Russia, the holiday as a tradition became stronger in the USSR. Until about the 70s, March 8 was primarily associated with the participants of the revolution and their successful struggle for the independence of women. One way or another, the history of the holiday in the West and in Russia testifies that first of all it was invented as a tool for emancipating and popularizing respect for women.
Why is it customary in Russia to give presents on this day and not to strike for equal pay?
History is silent about when and why the current candy-bouquet tradition of celebrating March 8 came to replace the processions and demonstrations. Some authors believe that the conscious and consistent policy of the Soviet leadership was to blame. Already in the 1930s, the much-needed women's departments, engaged in agitation, education, assistance and the struggle for women's rights, were abolished. Thus, women have lost a social elevator, and not reached new heights in equality. Subsequent women's organizations were largely nominal. Gradually, the revolutionary theme disappeared even from the cards, and the emphasis shifted to the chanting of female beauty and motherhood, making the holiday look more like Mother's Day in other countries.
In 1966, under Brezhnev, March 8 became a day off, so the active idea of the date finally disappeared. Today, the holiday has finally turned into a day of following stereotypes about women. This is noticeable in the traditional gifts, and the description of the International Women's Day in the Russian-language Internet. According to the "Levada Center", in Russia the most popular
Gifts for March 8 are flowers and sweets, as well as perfumes and cosmetics. According to VTsIOM, only 5% associate the holiday with emancipation. On the one hand, this survey shows a positive trend in relation to equality - the number of people who believe that women deserve the same privileges that men increased 1.5 times. On the other hand, every fifth respondent still considers men to be much more capable than women. Gender affiliation of survey participants is not specified.
Where else celebrate March 8?
The official holiday of the International Women's Day is recognized not only in Russia, North Korea and China, but also, for example, in Burkina Faso. In the rest of the world, March 8 is not considered a public holiday, but every year it is gaining more and more popularity, while maintaining a feminist bias. The main popularizer of the date today is the UN. In 1977, the United Nations invited the participating countries to choose any day to celebrate the ideas of women's equality and world peace, it was March 8.
The countries that supported the UN primarily use the holiday as a reason to raise social issues that are important for women. From year to year, the UN chooses a priority theme to which efforts will be directed. In 2013, it was opposed to violence against women, last year - "Equality for women - progress for all." In 2015 - "Inspiring Women - Inspiring Humanity." The symbol of the holiday is purple ribbon.
How to celebrate March 8 this year?
This year's theme comes with the hashtag #MakeItHappen. In Afghanistan, men donned burkas and protested to support women's rights. In India, March 8 this year was the date against which women continue to demand justice for victims of violence, who are not protected by the law or society. Many publications focus on remembering the origins of the date, and offer to celebrate it not with flowers, but with a call to action and attention, for example, to key health problems and courageous feminists in world history. Forbes explain the real difference in the salaries of men and women and give advice on how each can improve the situation. Among other things, March 8 will launch a petition #UpForSchool, the purpose of which is to force world leaders to educate 31 million boys and girls around the world.
Today, the Internet plays a key role in making International Women's Day a part of world pop culture. Since 2000, the number of requests for Google in the format of "International Women's Day + Current Year" has grown from 49 million to 196 - that is, 4 times. Specifically, in 2015, on the eve of the holiday, the hashtag #DearMe appeared, under which the video bloggers send inspiring messages to themselves - a teenager from the past. This, perhaps, a naive approach found a huge response from the audience, and girls from all over the world write grateful comments for moral support. The hashtag became number one on the service. Many YouTube users simply focus on thematic videos on gender roles, such as Kristen from Stuff Mom Never Told You. Be sure to look at the sketch about "gender rolls" - behind the ridiculous wordplay lies a clear and relevant message that it is time to stop imposing upon us behavioral patterns depending on the biological sex. Social networking is, of course, not limited. Favorite Internet and UN envoy for women's rights, Emma Watson, for example, will hold a Q & A on International Women's Day and answer all questions that concern the audience about sexism and inequality. By the way, this is a great way to celebrate.
Women, then, have a sensible holiday, but what about men?
In the world there is an international men's day, it is celebrated on November 19. This holiday is intended to draw attention to exactly the same issues as women’s, only for men, and also to maintain gender balance. Unfortunately, in Russia it is not celebrated at all, preferring to give men socks and colognes on Defender of the Fatherland Day.
I want to get flowers and candy, leave me alone!
Any goodwill gesture is wonderful, the main thing is that it does not mean that they show disrespect to you on other days. Many people like gifts, dedicated to specific holidays, and if they are not intended to emphasize your dependence and imposed weakness on other days of the year, then nothing prevents them from being received. The established tradition of modern Russia indicates that equality, unfortunately, is not yet a question, and March 8 is perceived as the only way for a man to take on part of "purely female" duties. Some Russians dissatisfied with this state of affairs on this day, for example, hold rallies.
What other days are celebrating important events for women?
The UN is actively promoting March 8 as a universal date, however there are several other major holidays. One of them is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. He is celebrated on November 25 to commemorate the Mirabal sisters killed in the Dominican Republic. Violence against women is still an incredibly common problem, which is often not brought to court. On this day, countries are calling for events to increase the publicity of the problem and talk about ways to solve it.
October 15 is the International Day of Rural Women, whose rights are sometimes given very little attention. In South Africa, they are celebrating their women's day, August 9, at the state level. The date is intended to remind of the struggle of local activists against the tyranny of the apartheid government. So, on August 9, 1956, they prevented the introduction of compulsory certification of women in South Africa.
Photo: Wikipedia, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, cover image via Shutterstock
