Is March 8 celebrated in Ukraine: the history of the holiday
6 March 2025 09:54
Most countries around the world celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, which was introduced in the 1970s by a United Nations resolution. This holiday was established to celebrate the achievements of women in science and other areas of public life, as well as to emphasize the importance of protecting women’s rights, especially in matters of gender equality, sexism, violence against women, etc.
Today, in most countries of the world, it is customary to give gifts to women on this day. What events preceded the establishment of this holiday and whether March 8 is celebrated in Ukraine – read in the "Komersant Ukrainian" article.
International Women’s Day: the history of this holiday
Starting in the mid-nineteenth century, women around the world began to protest, demanding equal rights. For example, on March 8, 1857, factory workers in New York City organized a demonstration to demand fair working conditions. They called for a reduction of the working day from 16 to 10 hours, equal pay with men, the opportunity to receive education and participate in elections.
More than 50 years later, on February 28, 1908, New York City again became the center of a large-scale protest for women’s rights, which was attended by more than 15,000 women. Already in 1910, the second International Conference of Women Workers was held in Copenhagen to discuss issues of equality.
The idea of establishing the International Day for the Protection of the Rights of All Women quickly gained popularity in socialist countries. Initially, the date of the celebration was at the end of February, and in 1975 the United Nations officially established March 8 as International Women’s Day. In 1977, a UN resolution was adopted, which proposed to include this holiday in their national calendars in accordance with local traditions.
Will there be a public holiday on March 8, 2025?
In Ukraine, March 8 is considered a holiday of spring and femininity, but recently there have been discussions about its status. From the very beginning of this holiday, it was introduced at the state level in the USSR.
Due to the outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine, as well as the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the processes of decommunization and moving away from the Soviet heritage began. Due to the socialist roots of this holiday, proposals were put forward at the state level in Ukraine to introduce an alternative holiday that would honor Ukrainian women.
In 2023, a bill was registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to abolish March 8 as a public holiday and instead introduce the Day of the Ukrainian Woman, the date of which coincides with Lesya Ukrainka’s birthday and falls on February 25. However, this draft law was not considered, so International Women’s Day remains a public holiday to this day.
In accordance with the current labor legislation of Ukraine, additional days off on the occasion of public holidays are canceled during martial law and/or a state of emergency. At the same time, March 8 in 2025 falls on a Saturday, so everyone will be able to celebrate this holiday.
Author: Olya Yushko
