AMDA Commemorates Women's History Month and International Women's Day

March 08, 2024 -

We stand in celebration on March 8, 2024 with the entire global community to acknowledge the importance of International Women’s Day (IWD). It is a day not only to commemorate the social, economic, political and cultural achievements of women all over the world but to serve as a reminder that we can and should collectively all work together towards equality.

IWD has been celebrated in various forms for well over a century. Some of its roots can be traced to labor movements in the early 1900s when thousands of garment workers on Manhattan’s Lower East Side protested their poor working conditions and demanded better pay. This inspired German feminist Clara Zetkin, who would later propose an establishment of an International Women’s Day in 1910. Yet the UN did not officially acknowledge IWD as a holiday until 1975. IWD is appropriately recognized in March, Women’s History Month. 

The month-long commemoration of Women’s History Month grew out of a single day in 1978 called Women’s History Day, organized by the school district of Sonoma, California. Hundreds of students participated in essay competitions and delivered presentations on notable women and their contributions to society and worldwide culture. A few years later, school districts, communities, and organizations all over the country were celebrating the day. In 1980, the National Women’s History Alliance championed for the holiday to be observed as a national week, which was fully supported by President Jimmy Carter. He issued the first proclamation declaring the week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week. The following year, Congress forwarded a resolution establishing a national observance. Six years later, the expansion of the event to the whole month of March was successfully petitioned for by the National Women’s History Project.

The 2024 theme for IWD is #InspireInclusion and it goes hand in hand with this year’s theme for Women’s History Month which is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.” The theme recognizes women throughout the country who understand that, for a positive future, we need to eliminate bias and discrimination entirely from our lives and institutions.

There are so many ways to ensure we are putting collective activism to work right here on our campus. We can continue to elevate and promote women’s participation onstage and in the classroom. We will actively support women in leadership roles and encourage them in their creative pursuits and talents. We can and will provide all women with access to a quality education and mentorship on their career paths. 

March 8 prompts us to embrace every opportunity to address gender equity and parity on campus, at home and beyond. We recommend exploring some of the learning opportunities and resources below about this year’s theme for IWD and how to stay active in the continuous movement to forge a better world for all of us. 

Join us for Gender Wise Growth Monday, March 18, 2024; 3pm-5pm PT/6pm-8pm ET. Gender discrimination impacts every level of society, from institutions and governments to personal relationships. Through shared language and an exploration of the impacts of such thinking and behavior, this interactive workshop aims to explore personal and cultural attitudes toward different genders and practical strategies to disrupt sexism. 

 This is a one-part workshop, open to all staff & faculty. Register here

Other resources~

https://www.internationalwomensday.com/EventSearch

https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Videos

https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Mission/Creative

https://www.womenshistorymonth.gov/ 

In community,

The Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion AMDA College of the Performing Arts oedi@amda.edu | https://www.amda.edu/edi Follow us on Instagram @oedi.amda