International Women’s Day is celebrated worldwide on March 8th in commemoration of women’s strength and achievements throughout history, recognizing how far women have come.
IE Celebrating Women: #WomenPassItOn
At IE, we celebrate and empower women globally through education. Pass It On is a project created for IE women to establish a legacy, pass on inspiration and confidence to their peers and future generations, and empower themselves and others by learning and developing their skills through mentoring programs, research, events, networking, and exclusive scholarships. At IE, we seek to inspire future generations, encouraging women in the community to create a positive legacy and help others discover that legacy, to be inspired to achieve their dreams, become empowered, and Pass It On.
Women from the IE community “passed on” their advice to future generations by answering the question, “With what you know now, what advice would you Pass On to yourself 10 years ago?” Learn more about their stories, legacy and the IE Women Initiative here.
IE celebrated women through a series of events on March 8th, including panels and conferences with exceptional women from the IE community. These included an opening speech from Santiago Iñiguez, Executive President of IE University, and Celia de Anca, Director of IE Center for Diversity. Women shaping the five schools of IE shared their experiences and the challenges they’ve faced, and discussed the positive legacy they want to leave behind: Yolanda Regodon, Associate Director of Communications, Teresa Ramos (Human Sciences and Technology), Waya Quiviger (International Relations), Martha Thorne (Architecture & Design), Gayle Allard (Business), and Soledad Atienza (Law). There was also an alumni panel discussing the development of women in Technology, Math, and Science, followed by a networking lunch. The celebration ended with an evening dedicated to empowering women in the corporate world, and a cocktail hour sponsored by Mastercard and hosted by the IE Women in Business Club.
IE Women Video #PassItOn
The history of International Women’s Day
The celebration dates back to 1909, and sprung from various labor movements in North America and Europe. The first Women’s Day was celebrated in the USA on February 28th, in honor of a protest in New York against the poor working conditions of women. In 1910, this day was established on an international level by Socialist International when, after a meeting in Copenhagen, they sought to honor the movement for Women’s Rights. This was approved by over 100 women at the conference, including the first three women to be elected for the Finnish Parliament.
The following year, a date was set in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland: March 19th. On this day, women demanded their right to vote, work, and be treated equally. However, during World War I the date was changed to the 8th of March, and it also became a way to protest the war and express solidarity with other activists. In 1975, International Women’s Day was declared an official day of celebration by the United Nations. Today, women’s empowerment and equality are advocated for worldwide, and included in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for a fairer world.
International Women’s Day is celebrated across the globe, and women are recognized for their courage, strength, and the progress they’ve made throughout history. Moreover, it is a day to encourage and empower women to continue making a change.
