CBC Digital Archives

1982: Celebrating International Women's Day

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International Women's Day was first celebrated in 1910, but it wasn't until the 1970s that it became widely commemorated in Canada. And although the day becomes more popular each year, it's still "an ongoing struggle" to get many women interested in women's rights, explains Canadian feminist Mariana Valverde in this 1982 CBC-TV interview with Hana Gartner. "We have to struggle for our own rights," Valverde stresses, noting that in the workplace women are typically the last hired, first fired, and are only earning 60 per cent of what men earn in 1982.
• According to the United Nations, the idea of an international day to celebrate women's achievements was first proposed in 1910 at a meeting of Socialist International in Copenhagen. International Women's Day was marked for the first time on March 19, 1911. In the years following the date moved around but was generally observed around March 8.

• Since 1965, International Women's Day has been a national holiday in Russia.

• The UN designated 1975 as International Women's Year. Two years later, it passed a resolution calling on each member nation to choose a day to be observed for women's rights. According to Status of Women Canada, March 8 became Canada's official International Women's Day. By 2010 the day was the centrepiece of International Women's Week, a time to promote women's equality with speeches, marches, concerts and other events.

Also on March 8:
• 1907: The Supreme Court of Saskatchewan is established. In 1915, it is split into the Court of King's Bench and the Court of Appeal.
• 1963: Ernie Richardson's Saskatchewan team wins the Canadian men's curling championship for the fourth time. They finish the Brandon, Man. event with a 9-1 record.
• 1965: Newfoundland premier Joey Smallwood introduces free tuition for first-year Memorial University students.
• 2001: The Canadian Navy announces women will be eligible for service on submarines beginning the following year.

Medium: Television
Program: Take 30
Broadcast Date: March 8, 1982
Guest(s): Mariana Valverde
Reporter: Hana Gartner
Duration: 5:20

Last updated: November 3, 2014

Page consulted on November 3, 2014

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