On 8 March 1857, in New York City, 40.000 women textile workers took action against their appalling work conditions, low payment and 12hour working days.
They went on strike and organised protests: They were brutally attacked and police and scabs tried to force them to disperse. Despite this, the women stood firm. Dozens of women lost their lives.
In 1910 the Second Communist adopted the proposal of Clara Zetkin that this great resistance should be commemorated by making 8 March into
Working
In 1911, Women's Day was marked for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, where more than one million women and men attended rallies.
In 1913 Russian women observed their first International Women's Day.
Four years later in 1917 Russian women again chose the day to strike for "bread and peace", despite the opposition of most political leaders who thought the timing wasn't right.
Their action triggered the Russian Revolution.
Women are often more militant when they take action than their male counterparts.
The heady days of 1917 may seem distant, but the women cleaners of Canary Wharf, or the medical secretaries who won their strikes for regrading, as well as women fighting internationally should be the sisters we reach out to on March 8 2005. Events in Britain In North London a series of actions have been organised focusing on the following demands: • 8 March to be a paid, public holiday; • Governments to spend money on education, health and improving living standards, not on prisons and war; • An end to imperialist occupation: bring war criminals to justice; • The repeal of racist, discriminatory laws and the expansion of social rights; • Women and men to be treated and paid equally; • Shorter working hours and full employment; • An end to gender-based, national and class exploitation On TUESDAY 8 MARCH there will be a torchlight procession at 6.30pm focusing on these issues On MARCH 14, Nora Castaneda, leader of Women's Development Bank, Venezuela will speak at 7.30pm, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London WC1 These events are being organised by TOHUM, RWCA (GIK DER) Community Centre Hundred Flowers (YCKM), Samahan ng mga KababaihanMigrante International (Philippines), RCG. Also in LONDON there is a Women's Vigil against Violence against Women in Peacetime and in War Honouring women's survival -celebrating women's resistance. This is called by Women in Black against War, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Code Pink, and other London feminist groups under the slogans: No to Violence, Yes to Peace with Justice in the Home - in the Community - in the State - in International Relations. • Meanwhile in Scotland, the SSP Women's Network has organised a demonstration on March 12, and at 12 noon will be having a demo outside Cornton Vale Women'S Prison. For transport from Edinburgh phone Lorrane 0131 466 6357, from Glasgow phone Anthea 07742 889 802 The network also organised a demonstration outside the Labour Party Women's conference in Dundee on March 5, focusing on Violence Against