With the aromas of the first flowers comes International Women’s Day on March 8. It is a day for every woman. It is the day of moms, grandmas, and all those who are so dear to us. 

The story of this day begins on Aug. 26, 1910. Clara Zetkin, while at the International Conference of Working Women, decided to table an International Woman’s Day. While various countries have celebrated International Women’s Day since 1911, it was only in 1977 that the United Nations declared it a day to be celebrated on any day.

On International Women’s Day, we also celebrate our moms. Our moms are one of the most valuable individuals we have in the world. The love of our mothers is a spring garden in which the sun always shines. We never stop being children while our moms are beside us. Our moms always help us, love us, understand us, and support us, no matter which path we take in our lives. They are the small rays of a big sun. The smiles of our mothers are like the kisses of their souls. Our moms love us at all times, no matter the circumstances that we may run into in our lives; they love us simply the way we are. 

Of course, the holiday is also celebrated because of the continuous fight of women for their rights. In a world filled with inequality and gender-based discrimination, women around the world continue to raise their voices in order to be heard. International Women’s Day is not only a holiday in which we honour women for their various contributions within our families or to society at large, but also a holiday when we honour the important principle of the equality of men and women. 

For many, it is also a fight for women of colour to be recognized on par with other women and to gain equal rights with them. While in modern times, our society has strongly evolved in regards to recognizing women’s rights, much more work still has to be done. Many rights for which women fought throughout the majority of the previous century and in current times are always at a threat of being rolled back by various institutions in our societies. Thus, every year on International Women’s Day, we are to be reminded of the progress of women’s rights activists to gain the same respect and to be on par with men in all aspects of society. 

International Women’s Day is an important holiday to celebrate. It is often celebrated with our loved ones. It is a day when men show love and care for all the important women in their lives. 

On this day, I want to wish for all the women of Edmonton that the month of March will not only bring happiness and the aromas of flowers, but also smiles to your faces. As the sun warms the first spring leaves, let your kind eyes warm our world.