2024-03-08

International Women's Day and Zonta Rose Day

On March 8, we celebrate International Women's Day. The purpose of the day is to focus on the fight for women's equal rights and on the inequality that prevails in society.

We at Zonta want every woman in the world to be able to reach her full potential. We want a world where women have access to all resources on the same terms as men and where no woman is afraid of violence. In order for this to become a reality, we have a close collaboration with the UN and work with international projects for equality and human rights, with a focus on women's and girls' health, education and the economy. In connection with this year's 8 March, Zonta focuses on drawing attention to our municipalities' work against child marriage.

The first National Women's Day was celebrated in the United States on February 28, 1909. As recently as 1977, the UN adopted a resolution recommending a general celebration of International Women's Day on March 8. That decision rests on the UN Charter from 1945 and the Declaration on Human Rights, which establishes the basic and equal rights of women and men, which was then clarified in the Women's Convention, CEDAW, from 1979.

March 8 is not a holiday in Sweden, but in almost 30 other countries around the world such as Angola, Eritrea, Cambodia, Serbia and Ukraine, International Women's Day is a national holiday.

Zonta Rose Day is also celebrated on March 8. On this day, Zontas all over the world are encouraged to use the yellow rose in some form to spread knowledge about Zonta's important activities.