March 8th marks International Women’s Day (IWD), a “global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women” and a “call to action for accelerating women’s equality.” Here we’ll take a brief look at the history of IWD before exploring the present-day political dimensions of the holiday and their connection to gender equality efforts. 

A Historical Foundation for Modern Equality Efforts 

The first International Women’s Day was celebrated in 1911, but its origins go back a great deal farther. In the United States, one of the most significant events leading to the establishment of IWD was America’s first women’s rights convention, held in 1848. Women had been prohibited from participating in an anti-slavery event, so, led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, they held their own event instead. From that gathering came the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions, a document heralding their call for equal rights. 

It wasn’t until about 60 years later, in 1909, that American women held the first National Women’s Day to commemorate the anniversary of a protest for the rights of garment workers. This was followed in 1911 by the inaugural International Women’s Day, which is celebrated around the globe. Today, the official IWD website provides links to enable visitors to learn about and support myriad women’s rights and feminist causes. 

Though women in the U.S. and elsewhere have made strides since that first IWD event, including gaining the right to vote, true gender equality has yet to be achieved. Just as one domestic example: The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was very specific in requiring that men and women with the same skills be paid equally for the same job. Yet research published in 2023 shows women earning an average of only 82% of the amount men earn—a figure that has barely budged in two decades. 

Politics: The Driving Power in the Gender Equality Movement 

Many International Women’s Day concerns are promoted through political action committees, or PACs. A PAC is a political organization that collects campaign donations from its members and channels those funds toward supporting or opposing candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislative proposals. PACs are commonly established to advocate for the interests of businesses, labor groups, or individuals with specific ideologies. These committees enable individuals to privately raise funds for contribution to political campaigns.  

Just like any other movement seeking change, gender equality activists form PACs to advance their agendas. There are a variety of PACs promoting gender equality, from those dedicated to single issues such as supporting Democratic women, Republican women, or Black women for public office, to those with a more wide-ranging agenda.  

Goals of PACs Centered on Gender Equality 

Some common efforts of PACs focus on: 

Political Office 

As previously noted, getting women—and sometimes men who support women’s issues—elected to public roles that will help them promote gender equality is a core goal of International Women’s Day, feminist groups, and PACs dedicated to advancing the rights-oriented agendas of both. 

Policy Reform 

Once these women and likeminded men are elected to public office, it’s time for policy reform: persuading politicians of any gender to author, introduce, and otherwise support legislation that codifies gender equality. 

Joint International Efforts 

National groups that have seen success with gender equality policies and strategies may share them with other countries that are falling behind. By promoting collaboration among countries, they can expand the scope and strength of their organization.  

Education 

An essential part of any PAC’s mission is to educate the public about the cause they support—in this instance, gender equality concerns—and what they can do to help the organization achieve its goals. Promoting messaging around contacting elected officials and asking them to support a bill that will advance women’s rights is just one example. 

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