Ten years ago, neither I nor any of my friends would have been able to tell you when International Women’s Day was. Now, my social media feed fills with memes, inspiring quotes and pictures from IWD events. It feels like a celebration.
PHOTOGRAPH: MARK HARRISON. HAIR AND MAKE-UP: CAROLINE PIASECKI. STYLIST: KATE ANYA BARBOUR
IWD began 110 years ago, after the Socialist Party of America organised a Women’s Day to campaign for better rights for working women. The following year, the International Socialist Women’s Conference decided to make it a global event and 8 March 1910 became the first ofcial International Women’s Day. The early days featured marches calling for women’s right to vote, to hold public ofce and to end employment discrimination - they had an overtly political message.