International Women's Day Statistics on the Status of Women

How International Women's Day began

WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY?

Every year on March 8, millions of women and men around the world celebrate International Women's Day. This day is an ideal opportunity to reflect on the progress made to advance women's equality, to assess the challenges facing women in contemporary society and to consider future steps to enhance women's quality of life and, of course, to celebrate the gains made.

Women on all continents often divided by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences come together to celebrate International Women's Day. It is a celebration of ordinary women as makers of history. Rallies, marches, fairs, receptions, shows, films and debates are held around the world to celebrate the achievements for women's equality.

Interesting Stats on the status of women:

MONEY	The gender gap in Canada is alive and well: women's total incomes are 61% of men's. In full-time, full-year work, women earn 72% of what mean earn ('98) In unionized work places, women working full-time, full-year, earn 82% of men's incomes.
POWER	In 2002, in our federal government, women represent 21% of Members of the House of commons, 23% of Cabinet Members, 30% of the Senate of Canada. At the provincial level, women make up 20% of the Members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. In Lethbridge 3 out of 14 aldermen are women.
POVERTY	1 in 5 women in Canada live in poverty. 56% of single parent women are poor. In Calgary in 2000 44% of non-elderly single women and 54% of elderly single women are poor.
EDUCATION	In the 1997 - 1998 academic year, 55% of all full-time university students were women, up from 37% in 1972 - 1973. In 1997, only 2% of all apprentices registered in the 15 predominant trades in Canada were women.
WORK	In the 1997 - 1998 academic year, 55% of all full-time university students were women, up from 37% in 1972 - 1973. In 1997, only 2% of all apprentices registered in the 15 predominant trades in Canada were women.
CRIME	In the 1997 - 1998 academic year, 55% of all full-time university students were women, up from 37% in 1972 - 1973. In 1997, only 2% of all apprentices registered in the 15 predominant trades in Canada were women.
SEX	In the 1997 - 1998 academic year, 55% of all full-time university students were women, up from 37% in 1972 - 1973. In 1997, only 2% of all apprentices registered in the 15 predominant trades in Canada were women.
ABUSE	In 2000, the Calgary Police Services responded to 10,358 domestic violence calls; an increase of 8.5% from 1999. In 1998, 11 of 19 homicides in Calgary were domestic-violence related. In 2001, more than 324 women and 304 children found safety at the YWCA's Harbour House. In 2001, more than 1,700 crisis calls were received at Harbour house. In 2001, Lethbridge City Police responded to 513 calls related to Domestic Violence.

* The statistics presented are averages. Women of color, women with disabilities, immigrant women and Aboriginal women face additional barriers. They have lower wages, higher rates of poverty and are more likely to be victims of violence.

Source of Statistics:

* Canadian Association Elizabeth Fry Societies
* Canadian Council on Social Development
* Statistics Canada
* Canadian Labour congress
* Calgary Police Services
* National Action Committee on the Status of Women
* Planned Parenthood of Alberta
* Calgary Immigrant Women's Association
* United Food and Commercial Workers
* Calgary Birth Control Association
* Jewish Family Services
* Women's Centre of Calgary

WHEN DID IT START?

Toward the end of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th Century, a movement of women struggling for better working conditions and recognition of their fundamental rights, including the right to vote, emerged in North America and Europe.

A number of people believe that International Women's Day emanates from labour strikes of female textile workers on March 8, in both 1857 and 1908, to protest against poor working conditions in New York City. Others say the first official reference to International Women's Day can be traced to a demonstration for women's suffrage organized by the National Association of Socialist Women. Referred to as "Women's Day", the demonstration took place on February 28, 1909 and had been celebrated annually in the United States on the last Sunday in February until 1913.

Inspired by the American Women's Day, at the Second International Conference of Socialist Women held in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1910, the German socialist leader, Clara Zetkin, presented a resolution calling for the designation of an International Women's Day to recognize women's struggles around the world, including the fight for universal suffrage.

The resolution was passed unanimously by more than 100 delegates representing 17 countries. The first International Women's Day was celebrated the next year on March 19, 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. Following that, it was celebrated in other parts of the world in February or March and sporadically in North America until the end of the 1960s.

In 1977, two years after International Women's Year, the United Nations adopted a resolution inviting countries to dedicate one day to celebrate the rights of women and international peace. March 8 became the date of recognition in many countries. Over the course of the years, International Women's Day evolved into an occasion to highlight the progress made, to celebrate the gains in the fight for women's rights and to consider future steps to improve women's equality. The celebrations also grew and often stretched over a week, with March 8 being the highlight.

Source: Status of Women Canada website: http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/dates/iwd/index_e.html