Published in The Portland Alliance, February 2006
In 1975, the United Nations officially recognized March 8 as
International Women’s Day, and in 1976 the city of Portland celebrated
at the YWCA downtown. Since then the event has been held mostly at
Portland State University, where this year’s 31st anniversary
festivities will take place on Sunday, March 5 at the Smith Center
Ballroom. Countries as diverse as Romania, China and Uganda have made
International Women’s Day a national holiday, but even though the
United States has not yet done so there are celebrations planned in
many U.S. cities and Portland’s is shaping up to be one of the best.
The socialist history of International Women’s Day in the United States is
often forgotten since the American revival of the holiday in the 1960s
diminished the significance of anything smacking of communism. In 1908,
on the last Sunday in February, socialist women in the United States
initiated the first Women’s Day with large demonstrations calling for
the vote and for the political and economic rights of women. The
following year, 2,000 people attended a Women’s Day rally in Manhattan.
Since those early years, International Women’s Day has
assumed a global dimension for women in developed and developing
countries alike. Increasingly, the day is a time to reflect on progress
made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and
determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role
in the history of their countries and communities. Sponsored by the PSU
Women’s Resource Center, organizers of the celebration have expressed
their intent to return the event to the more traditional international
aspects of the holiday than has been present in recent years.
Portland’s International Women’s Day 2006 will feature women owned
and/or operated vendors, educational workshops, art exhibits, a health
fair, entertainment, and international food. Over a thousand people are
expected to come together for this free event to honor women’s work,
art and contributions to the community.
A lively lineup is scheduled, including a presentation and book signing
by Inga Muscio, internationally acclaimed author of Cunt: A
Declaration of Independence. A performance by The Flat Mountain Girls,
a local, all-female bluegrass band is planned for the main stage and a
documentary by local artist and activist Julianne Johnson titled
Grandma Zula’s Legacy will be premiered.
On the workshop and
discussion end of things, Georgia Pinkel will be presenting “You’re
Never Too Old To Make Change: A History of the Raging Grannies” and
Marie Fleishmann will be host a creative writing and speaking workshop.
There will also be a panel discussion on female cyclists featuring
several bicycling women who will speak about the obstacles women face
in the cycling world and what resources are available to overcome them.
Portland International Women’s Day is a day for women to discover their
similarities and to learn from their differences in a respectful
environment. There’s no better way to kick off Women’s History Month
than by coming out on Sunday to show your support for the amazing and
creative women in our worldwide community.
-SM Berg
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