equality

International Women’s Day did not begin as a feel-good celebration. In the United States and abroad, it grew out of labor struggle, demands for political power, and, during World War I, resistance to armed conflict and the systems that fueled it. As conflict again deepens in the Middle East, that history reminds us that celebrating women has often meant also recognizing their role in resisting violence, demanding peace, and challenging the forces shaping the world around them.