The inspiration for International Working Women’s Day can be traced back to the 19th century — and it started with a strike.
On March 8, 1857, in New York, women who worked in the textile industry organized a strike. These garment workers fought for fairer wages and more humane working conditions.
And, in Latin American countries, International Working Women’s Day holds deep roots in the struggles of working-class women. The origins of March 8th can be traced back to the early 20th century when women in Argentina and Uruguay also began organizing to demand better working conditions and the right to vote.
Today, Latin American women continue to be at the forefront of the fight for gender equality, an end to femicides, the inclusion of trans women and their protections (because trans women are women, full stop) – and so much more.
Women are organizing and demanding change from the women’s movements in Argentina, Chile, Puerto Rico, and Mexico to the indigenous women’s movements in Bolivia and Guatemala. And in these countries, March 8th is less of a ‘celebration’ and more of a call to action against injustices.
On this International Working Women’s Day, we hope you’ll make space to recognize the contributions of Latina and Indigenous women in the Global South who are active in the global struggle for social, economic, and political equality.
If there’s anything to celebrate, it is their resistance, strength, and unwavering commitment to achieving el Buenvivir — where every person has the right to self-determination and live in a dignified relationship to themselves, their neighbors, and the natural world around them.
En solidaridad,
Mijente
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A woman's work may never be done and yet there is joy and freedom in doing one's work well until the end of one's days.
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