INTERNATIONAL WOMEN´S DAY

By Felipe Argote

On March 8 each year marks the International Women's Day. The creation of this day was started on a proposal from the German Clara Zetkin on 19 March 1910. Then it changed to March 25 in commemoration of the death of a group of women because of the terrible working conditions in the Triangle garment factory in New York. The poor conditions were the primary responsibility for a fire which killed large numbers of textile women workers. But it was finally agreed on March 8 to commemorate the strike by Russian women developed for bread and peace on the last Sunday of February. This was the beginning of four days after the fall of Czar Nicholas II and the adoption days after the suffrage of women in parliament. This is developing on 23 February on the Julian calendar that was used in Russia at that time. This is the March 8 current Gregorian calendar

Also refers to the March 8, 1908 when 146 women from the Cotton Factory in New York were burned to death after they were firebombs thrown at them to force them to leave the factory that had been taken to demand better working conditions.

Women have been fighting for years for equality. The first country to recognize the right of women to elect and be elected was New Zealand in 1892, and then did Australia in 1902 and Finland in 1906. In the United States is given the vote to women in 1920. Keep in mind that this right to vote was limited to white women. Not until 1966, allowing the vote to afro Americans, including afro american women.

In Latin America the first woman to exercise the right to vote was the doctor who took advantage Matilde Hidalgo did not establish that the constitution expressly prohibits women's suffrage was presented to register to the surprise of the electoral jury. He was allowed entry under the premise that should be subject to consultation. This was finally settled in favor of Dr. Hill so she became the first Latin American woman to exercise the right to vote. In 1933 elections she was elected deputy.

In Panama the struggle for suffrage was championed by the National Feminist Party formed among others by Clara Gonzalez, Sara Sotillo, Enriqueta Morales, Sara Barrera, Rosa Navas and Elida Campodónico. Clara Gonzalez was the first Latin American woman to receive a doctorate degree in law. After much struggle to get the vote for women they got it in 1945.

Currently there are countries where women do not have the right to exercise the vote. Such is the case of Saudi Arabia, Brunei, where men have no right to vote also, Lebanon, where women require elementary education to vote but not the men whose vote is obligatory. Nor have the vote for women in the United Arab Emirates and the VatiCAN.