International Women’s Day began as a march which echoes a slogan: liberation for one gender and equality for all. A slogan that perhaps at a time was unconventional, became a historic stance against elements of traditional gender roles, discrimination by patriarchal institutions, and exploitation of working women.

By the late 19th century, it became clear to women’s organizations from multiple regions that century-old hegemonic dominance over the affairs and business of all women around the globe, had to be confronted. Even now, as many women demand basic rights, the struggle continues to demonstrate. In regions that are less developed, women face multiple issues such as decrease of rights such as in Afghanistan or Africa, and in developed countries such as the US, women confront various laws that threaten multiple issues such as abortion.

The Kurdistan region is also mainly affected by a lack of representation for women. Anything from social problems such as domestic abuse and honor killings, to economic frustration such as lack of employment and opportunities, the region’s women have experienced various forms of suppression by patriarchal institutions dominated by gender roles.

First, from Germany, members of the second international established various organizations in many European countries discussing and merging various social and economic issues such as class struggle and labor rights alongside feminism and equal rights for all. Voices such as those of Rosa Luxemburg, issued a call for women to take to the streets for their rights.

Later, during the national suffrage movement in the early 19th century, many issues were given to the public, from women’s rights to vote, to freeing them from the control of male-dominated laws.

International Women’s Day, which began from the origins of a historic struggle, should mainly be a celebration, but also, a reminder that the road to achieving equality for women is a long one and to this day, it's being taken by women from all around the world, clashing for rights and their own determination.