Berlin is the first federal German Land to declare March 8, the International Women’s Day, a public holiday. The Berlin Senate passed legislation to add a 10th public holiday to the annual calendar. The citizens of Berlin will thus join North Korea, Vietnam, China and Cambodia in celebrating the International Women’s Day as a public holiday. The idea is to make an impact for Gender Equality.
On the occasion of a Socialist Women’s Congress in Copenhagen in 1910, at the initiative of Clara Zetkin, the International Women’s Day was proclaimed starting in 1911. In the beginning women’s suffrage was one element that was demanded at women’s manifestations. In 1975, in the Year of Women, the United Nations included March 8 as the International Women’s Day in their list of special days. Meanwhile it is called the International Day for Women’s Rights and World Peace. Many Women’s Ministries groups especially in eastern European Countries organize special activities to honor women on March 8.
Source: AFP
International Women’s Day
March 8 will be a public holiday in Berlin