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Women have received international recognition for 100 years during Women’s Day held each year on March 8.

The first recorded National Women’s Day in the United States was held in 1909 and continued to be celebrated on the last Sunday of February until 1913.

Internationally, Women’s Day was established in 1910 with no set date but approved by over 100 women from 17 countries during a conference held by the Socialist International.

It wasn’t until 1917, after World War I, did the set date of March 8 become in effect for the acknowledgment of women around the world.

This day is about bringing awareness to roles women have played throughout all the world’s history and their future accomplishments.

The United Nations website continues to describe this day as “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 women’s rights.”

International Women’s Day also brings hope for the women of all different countries coming together in appreciating their intertwined history. The purpose of this holiday is to break down the boundaries of different cultures, languages, ethnicities, political and economic views, and focus on the role of women in society.

This day represents women in general; showing how the most ordinary women can do something to change the world. It surrounds the ideas of liberty, peace, and equality.

International Women’s Day pays tribute to the contributions of women who are our neighbors, teachers, officers, friends, leaders, even mothers, who, in future and past, help to transform the world each day.

-photo provided by flickr