March On Mi’ Ladies! March On

Roshan Siddharth

For the many that studied in schools in India, a story in their English prose from standard 6 or 8 would be an iconic remembrance. It was the story of defiance, grit and revolution. And it sprung from the very simple action, of one lady refusing to give into bigotry, racism and dictatorial authority, by sitting down. Yes. She sat down and refused to get up, even while being hurled abuses, curses and threats. Her name was Rosa Parks. And Rosa Parks sat still, created a revolution for her, women and mankind.

Wind back in time, years before Rosa, you have Susan B Anthony. This stalwart of a woman took matters into her own hands and defied every single shackle thrust upon her by men and society. And pioneers of many a movement, like the Temperance movement, her newspaper “The Revolution and the National Suffragette Movement.” All of which have created ripples that last even today and have helped women gain a better footing in society, equal rights on matters that involve them as a part of society and a valour to voice themselves as equals.

If you are wondering why this piece of writing talks of Rosa Parks and Susan B Anthony, its because this month is Women’s History Month. It is an opportunity to celebrate the women that broke “the glass ceiling” despite the hurdles that we as a society, a patriarchal one at that, kept in their way. And the reality was, at all times, all the women are always asking society to do is treat them as equals, and not tie them down to their bodies, body parts and natural body functions. As a regular guy, it has never made sense to why women were put through all that and I apologize for that.

Women’s History month has its origins tied to small socialist movements in the early 1900s.These movements had intense participation from women and their activism was loud and volatile. The inspiration for these movements came from the Suffragette movements in the USA, such as the ones led by Susan B Anthony. In 1909, an activist named Theresa Malkiel suggested a National Women’s Day to be observed to the Socialist Party of America. The word about the observance spread to great acclaim. This practice was great news to women and grassroots women’s movements around the world.

About a year late, the women’s wing of global socialist parties called to organize the second edition of the International Socialist Women’s Conference in Copenhagen. There, German activists Clara Zetkin and Kate Duncker along with others proposed for an observance like in the states, but did not conclude with a date. Following that in 1911, on March 19 the first International Women’s Day was observed across Germany, Denmark, Austria, and Switzerland, with over a million people participating. In the years that followed, especially in 1914, Germany and England observed IWD on March 8th, possibly owing to its falling on a Sunday. And it continued to be celebrated in scattered dates, until something threw the world upside down and women, true to their spirit were at the fore front of it.

In 1917, on March 8th (which was celebrated as Working Women’s Day) women working in textile factories in St. Petersburg, in the erstwhile Russian Kingdom ‘marched’ out of their factories for “Bread and Peace” i.e. the restoration of economic conditions, food shortage, the abdication of the Czar, and to cease World War 1. Over 9000 workers, majorly women ‘marched’ out onto the streets in protest, which became the February revolution, leading up to the October revolution and the eventual formation of the USSR. Leon Trotsky, a revolutionary leader wrote in awe stating “The 8th of March was International Woman’s Day and meetings and actions were foreseen. But we did not imagine that this ‘Women’s Day’ would inaugurate the revolution. Revolutionary actions were foreseen but without date. But in the morning, despite the orders to the contrary, textile workers left their work in several factories and sent delegates to ask for support of the strike… which led to mass strike... all went out into the streets.”

Eventually this date was adopted internationally with the UN accepting it in 1975, International Women’s year. In 1980, Jimmy Carter ordered the celebration of Women’s Week inspired by a weeklong celebration in school in Sonoma in 1978. The following year a resolution was passed calling for Women’s Week celebration nationally. Six years later, with the work of the National Women’s History project, the resolution to extend the celebrations came into being. And slowly with the work of international organizations commemorating this day and the month of March for Women’s history.

The beauty of it lies in its roots. Although lost and distorted, with many a claim about a factory burning in the United States, being liked to the day, the fact that one of the greatest revolutions on the face of this world, led on the frontlines by women, on this day and month makes it fruitious. And this year’s theme for the month amplifies it. ‘The Valiant Women of the Vote’ is the theme for this year. It commemorates 100 years of the ratification of the 19th amendment of the US constitution, which gave women the right to vote. Today, it may seem like a simple thing. But the right to vote meant the right to choose your leader and in a world that damned women to the confines and child bearing and cooking, getting to choose your leader meant being part of the public discourse as equals. One small step, one giant leap.

100 years later, if Susan or the other women that fought and laid the foundations of women’s rights globally, including our own Savitribhai Phule or Kamini roy, were to look at the world today, they might be amused. Many has changed, many has not. Especially the commercialization of this day and month. In this world, it was bound to happen someday. But, their idea, thought and intent will be in our remembrance. And ideas are invincible. And what we as a society should do, is to change the ones that hasn’t, improve the ones that have, celebrate Women, not just their history and work, as equals and ‘march’ forward as a society.

Women’s history is our history.