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The United States first observed National Woman's Day on Fe uary 28th, 1909. Until 1913, women continued to cele ate the day on the last Sunday of Fe uary.
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In August of 1910, the event went worldwide when an International Women's Conference was organized in Copenhagen. No date was suggested, but the following year, IWD was recognized for the first time on March 18th.Over a million people in Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, and Germany carried banners demanding equal rights for women in the office and the voting booth.
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From there, IWD continued to spread. It made its way to Russia in 1913, China in 1922, and Spain in 1936.
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And, in 1977, a date was finally chosen when The United Nations General Assembly invited its member states to recognize March 8th as the UN Day for Women's Rights and International Peace.
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This year, IWD features the theme "Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures."
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"If every International Women's Day event held in 2012 includes girls in some way, then thousands of minds will be inspired globally," says the IWD website.
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And that's the general idea. International Women's Day is cele ated to mark the economic, political, and social achievements of women around the globe. Hopefully, young girls will learn about the accomplishments of women worldwide, and will be encouraged.
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Want to participate? There are a lot of events going on in D.C.
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You can join Women for Women International to demonstrate your support for women who don't have access to what most take for granted by walking with them over the Taft Bridge to Dupont Circle.
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Or, you can head to the Embassy of Costa Rica for Women in International Trade's International Wmoen's Day Cele ation to honor female ambassadors from all over the world.
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But, that's really just the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot of tidbits to learn about the occasion, and a lot of ways to cele ate.
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To find out more, and to see a complete schedule of events, visit the IWD event page.
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