International Women’s Day Centenary

March 08, 2011 Today, 8 March 2011, International Women’s Day (IWD) commemorates its centenary. On 19 March 1911, more than one million women and men attended the First International Women’s Day. Since then, millions of people all over the world attend the many annual celebratory events of the IWD and discuss the economical, political and social challenges women face.

Poetry plays an important role too in the celebrations of International Women’s Day. The Oriel Washington Gallery, in Wales, for instance, is commemorating the IWD’s centenary with a Women’s Art Exhibition of painting and 3D work around the theme of poetry. Elsewhere in the UK, Walthamstow Amnesty International is organising an evening of talks, music and poetry to celebrate the strength of women. On Saturday 19 March, Cuba will be represented in London in Mujeres: An evening of live Cuban music, dance and poetry to celebrate International Women’s Day.

IWD events are happening around the world. Visit the official IWD website for more information about events listed by country. You can also follow the latest news on IWD’s twitter feed.

See also PIW’s archive tour, ‘The rest of the time I am a woman’, which explores womanhood and gender issues through a selection of poems by Ronelda Kamfer, Mallika Sengupta and Halyna Krouk, among others.


Mònica Colominas