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The struggle of women to be equal participants in society goes back thousands of years. In ancient Greece women went on strike to protest war, as it was depicted in the play "Lysistrata." During the French Revolution, women marched on Versailles to demand women's suffrage. During the first phase of the Russian Revolution, women went on strike against World War I and for “bread and peace.” During the Iranian revolution of 1978-79, women were on the forefront of the protests and the demonstrations. On March 8, 1857 women textile workers in New York City went on strike for better working conditions, and were attacked by the police. Two years later they formed their first labor union. Fifty one years later, on March 8, 1908, 15,000 women protested in New York City again for better working conditions and the right to vote. March 8th became known as International Women’s Day (IWD). The first country to recognize this day as a national holiday was the Soviet Union right after the Russian Revolution. In 1975, the United Nations officially recognized this day. Now, March 8th is celebrated every year in many countries around the globe. Ironically, even though the struggle to recognize March 8th started in the US, and it is an official holiday in many countries, it is not recognized in the US. IWD is a day to celebrate the contributions of women the world over. It is a day to recognize the continuous struggle for women empowerment and their fight for equality, justice, and peace.
The women’s struggle for equality is not limited to only one day and it takes many forms and it expands the globe. The following is a partial and incomplete list of issues in different arenas that women face and solutions that can be presented to solve these problems.
Political
There needs to be more women in positions of power, whether it is as presidents, vice-presidents, prime ministers, cabinet members, members of parliament, mayors, or other local offices. In some countries there is an active campaign to have more women in politics and we should have the same in the US. Although it is a step forward to have women in power, one must recognize their policies. Women, such as Margaret Thatcher of Britain or Golda Meir of Israel, not only neglected to represent the interests of the majority of women, but their policies were anti-women and anti-peace and they were down right violent and vicious. In the upcoming US presidential elections it is a major step forward for a woman to be a major contender for the White House, but again we must be vigilant about the policies of Senator Clinton. Is she going to have the same policies as the "Good Old Boys Club"? Unfortunately, all indications point toward that fact.
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