March 8 is International Women’s Day

Tuesday, March 8, is International Women’s Day, a celebration of the social, cultural, economic, and political achievements of working women worldwide. The holiday was first observed in 1909, one year after members of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union protested hazardous working conditions in the streets of New York City, demanding machines with safety features, better hours, higher wages, the right to vote, and an end to sweatshops and child labor. The holiday is officially observed in dozens of countries, and is observed unofficially in many more.  

Click here to read about the heroic struggle of Chicano women workers in the 1970s against an abusive factory owner. Click here for more labor history.