INTERNATIONAL WOMEN's DAY - 8TH MARCH

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN's DAY – 8^TH MARCH 2010

 

CONFEDERATION CALLED UPON TO ORGANISE SEMINARS – CONVENTIONS – MEETINGS OF WOMEN EMPLOYEES

 

NFPE CALLS UPON TO ORGANISE THESE SPECIAL WOMEN SEMINARS OR CONVENTIONS DURING THE YEAR 2010 IN ALL POSTAL DIVISIONS JOINTLY BY ALL NFPE UNIONS

 

 

 

History

International Women's Day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe.

1909: The first National Woman's Day was observed in the United States on 28 February. The Socialist Party of America designated this day in honour of the 1908 garment workers' strike in New York, where women protested against working conditions.

1910: The Socialist International, meeting in Copenhagen, established a Women's Day, international in character, to honour the movement for women's rights and to build support for achieving universal suffrage for women. The proposal was greeted with unanimous approval by the conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, which included the first three women elected to the Finnish Parliament. No fixed date was selected for the observance.

1911: As a result of the Copenhagen initiative, International Women's Day was marked for the first time (19 March) in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, where more than one million women and men attended rallies. In addition to the right to vote and to hold public office, they demanded women's rights to work, to vocational training and to an end to discrimination on the job.

1913-1914: International Women's Day also became a mechanism for protesting World War I. As part of the peace movement, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February. Elsewhere in Europe, on or around 8 March of the following year, women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with other activists.

1917: Against the backdrop of the war, women in Russia again chose to protest and strike for 'Bread and Peace' on the last Sunday in February (which fell on 8 March on the Gregorian calendar). Four days later, the Czar abdicated and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote.

Since those early years, International Women's Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women's movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nations women's conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women's rights and participation in the political and economic arenas. Increasingly, International Women's Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.

This year 2010, the Indian Parliament is likely to pass the women 's reservation bill during the current session itself to ensure one third positions in all elected democratic bodies like Parliament, State legislature etc. This would be a revolutionary step in arming the women who are subjugated in general.

 

The Trade Union Movement itself has to remind itself of the tasks with regard to special problems of women. We should demand liberalisation of the conditions set by the Government that are making the availing of the Child Care Leave a difficult task. We should ensure formation anti-sexual harassment committees at all levels including field levels to safeguard the women employees from harassment in work spots.

 

Confederation of CG Employees has called upon to organise meetings – seminars – convention of women employees. Therefore let us take the task seriously and organise seminars of women employees of Postal in all places during the current year. At least one women employees seminar or convention shall take place in each division jointly by all NFPE Unions  during 2010.

--
K.Ragavendran
Secretary General NFPE