Today, March 8th, is International Women’s Day, with the 2017 campaign theme being Be Bold For Change. This is a day where the political, social, economic, and cultural achievements of women are celebrated, along with steps toward gender equality. This day has been celebrated since the early 1900s, a time of rapid industrialization and population growth, as well as radical ideas, like human equality. According to the official International Women’s Day website, this special day “is all about unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action.”

Throughout human history, women have been viewed as inferior to their male counterparts. This day is important because it recognizes all of the amazing accomplishments and contributions women have made to the world. For all the years that women have been oppressed, there have been those who took a stand to fight for their rights. The first official International Women’s Day was organized by the Suffragettes in 1911. Since then, the day has served as a symbol of progress, justice, and hope for all genders. It is especially powerful in this modern age, with the message being spread more clearly and effectively across a plethora of social platforms.

Mahnoor Haleem, a junior at Ward Melville says that this day is especially important because it “emphasizes how we should understand that women are just as powerful as men are. It teaches young girls who are constantly told they can’t do certain things because of their gender that they shouldn’t hold themselves back because of social restraints that prevent them from taking roles that might be considered ‘less feminine.’” It is important that, not only on this day, but every other day of the year, all the people in the world take a moment to remember what women and all other minorities have gone through to get where they are today. While there are certainly still improvements to be made, society as a whole has come a long way on its journey to equality, serving as proof that when you truly believe in something and are determined to make it happen, nothing is impossible.