International Women’s Day: what it commemorates and how far equality has come

Mar 8, 2024 | Current affairs, Featured, Revista Lloseta, Thursday Daily Bulletin, Tradition


On 8 March, the Government joined in the commemoration of Women’s Day to raise awareness among citizens so that both men and women join in the feminist struggle. It has approved an institutional declaration in which it renews its commitment to all women, to their rights and equality. This year’s 2024 campaign slogan is “With M for Women. All women. Let’s move”.

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International Women’s Day


The campaign ‘With M for Women. All Women. Muévete focuses on the mobilisation of women throughout history and invites us to continue advancing towards equality.

It also emphasises that the demands of 8M are common to all women and stresses that it is essential to move forward hand in hand to achieve common goals. Unity and sisterhood are the keys to the initiative.

The Executive considers it necessary to explain once again why public equality policies are necessary, why International Women’s Day exists and why it is necessary to continue demanding and working to achieve equality between men and women.

In addition, the extraordinary Council of Ministers, held on the occasion of 8-M, has approved an institutional declaration in which it celebrates the achievements of women and renews its commitment to effective equality, the fight against gender violence and the full autonomy of women.

What does International Women’s Day commemorate?
International Women’s Day commemorates women’s struggle to eliminate all forms of discrimination, regardless of its form or status, in all spheres of life, and particularly in the political, civil, labour, economic, social and cultural spheres.

When is International Women’s Day celebrated?
The General Assembly of the United Nations Organisation, meeting on 16 December 1977, officially declared 8 March of each year as International Women’s Rights Day with the aim of visualising the struggle of women to participate in all areas of life on an equal footing with men.

Its origins lie in the demonstrations and protests staged by women since the beginning of the 20th century, especially in the United States and in several European countries, which demanded the right to vote, better working conditions and salaries, and equality between women and men.

What is the principle of equality?
Equality between women and men is a universal legal principle recognised in various international human rights texts, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

In turn, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted in September 2015 by the United Nations, incorporates the commitment to gender equality as a cross-cutting objective and is a key element in national policies, budgets and institutions.

Equality is also a fundamental principle of the European Union. Since the entry into force of the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1999, equality between women and men and the elimination of inequalities has been an objective to be mainstreamed in all policies and actions of the Union and its members. It is now a fundamental European value enshrined in the Treaty on European Union, in its Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Equality in the Spanish Constitution
In Spain, the Constitution recognises the right to equality and non-discrimination on grounds of sex and enshrines the obligation of the public authorities to promote the conditions for the equality of the individual and of the groups of which they form part to be real and effective.

Moreover, the Organic Law for Effective Equality between women and men establishes a legal framework to achieve equal treatment between women and men and to eliminate discrimination based on sex, with an emphasis on the prevention of discriminatory behaviour.