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The Upside

Celebrating International Women’s Day

The first International Women’s Day held in 1911.

Beth Dickerson, right, gives her friend Sam Rise, left, a hug during the celebration of International Women's Day.
Beth Dickerson, right, gives her friend Sam Rise, left, a hug during the celebration of International Women's Day.Read moreMICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer

On March 8, worldwide celebrations and protests marked International Women’s Day.

Founded in 1911, the annual commemoration looks at the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. Participants also use the occasion to bring attention to the inequality that still exists across the globe. The theme for this year’s event was “I Am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights.”

In Philadelphia, about 200 attendees descended upon Logan Square for the occasion, many of them members of progressive and feminist organizations. There were speeches, skits, and songs, whose mission was to promote a singular message: “Solidarity, not separation: Feminism for the 99%.”