B4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 7, 2001 How it happened Why March 8 became | the day we recognize. the rights of women CONTRIBUTED THE IDEA of an International Women's Day first arose at the turn of the century which, in the industrialized world, was a period of expansion and turbulence, booming population growth and radical ideologies. Following is a brief chrono- logy of the most important events: On March 8, 1857 women working in clathing and textile factories {called “garment workers”) in New York City Staged a protest to fight against inhumane working conditions and law wages. Two years later, again in March, these women formed their first labour union to try and protect themselves and gain some basic rights in the workplace. New York City. Over 140 workers, mostly young Italian and Jewish immigrant girls, died because of the lack of safety mea- sures, The Women's Trade Union League and the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union led many of the protests against this avoidable tragedy, ‘including the silent funeral march which brought to- gether a crowd of over 100,000 people. As part of the peace movement brew- ing on the eve of World War I, Russian women observed their first International Women’s Day on the last Sunday in February 1913, Elsewhere in Europe, on or around March 8 of the following year, women held rallies either to protest On March 8, 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City de- manding shorter work hours, better pay, voting rights and an end to child labour. They adopted the slogan “Bread and Roses”, with bread symbolizing econo- mic security and roses a better quality of life. An international confer- ence, held by socialist or- ganizations from around the world, met in Copenhagen, the war or to express solidar- ity with their sisters, With 2 million Russian soldiers dead in the war, Russian women again chose the last Sunday in February 1917 to strike for “bread and peace”. Political leaders op- posed the timing of the strike, but the women went on anyway, The rest is history: Four days later the Czar of Russia was forced to abdicate and the provisional government Denmark, in 1910, The con- ference of the Socialist International pro- posed a Women’s Day tc honour the movement for women’s rights, including granted women the right to vote. That historic Sunday fell on February 23 on the Julian calendar then in use in the right to Russia, but ther tint International Women's Day has assumed sith Mat no fixed @ new global dimension for women in deve- 3 on the date was foped and developing countries alike. Gregorian Selected calendar for the ob- used by servaiice. people elsewhere. Since those early The following year, 1911, International Women’s Day was marked for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. The date was March 19 and over a million men and women took to the streets in a series of rallies. Less than a week later, on March 25, the tragic Triangle Fire took place in years, International Women's Day has as- sumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. In December 1977 the UN General As- sembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace. PARKSIDE st HUNGRY Parkside Ele- mentary Schocl students, staff and parents eagerly lined up in the sub-zera morning temperatures to fill their plates with steaming pancakes hot off the griil a few weeks ago. Tummies growling, they took their treat inside to their classrooms, where they dolloped on syrup and fruit slices, The school had been fo- cusing on breakfast for three weeks as part of a teacher-led initiative, head pancake griddle chef and school principal Christine Foster says, EPILEPSY * EPILEPSY + EPILEPSY « EPILEPSY © EPILEPSY.» udents lina up for pancakes serve Starting th e “We wanted to gener- ate awareness around breakfast,” Foster said, adding the project, made possible through the North- d hot off the grill by school prin day off children say things like, “Oh, I’m really glad it’s recess” because they were hungry. “There were lots of She recently saw a child eating a “huge bag of potato chips” on his way to School, west Health Unit’s public health nursing, kicked off with a family breakfast with food from home. The school’s teachers had noticed that some children weren’t eating breakfast before coming to school. They would hear children who were choos- ing not to eat breakfast,” she says. The school tracked how | many children ate break- fast over three weeks using charts displayed in the hail. The number of child- ren opting in favour of the cipal Christine Foster. ight most important meal of the day went up. Community nutritionist Flo Sheppard spoke with the schoal’s Grade 3 and 4 classes about how. much Sugar different breakfast cereals contain. Sheppard says she re- cently saw a child eating a “huge bag of potato chips” on his way to school at a.m. , And it’s not just socio economic factors at work. She says studies are showing some children from families with good incomes aren't eating breakfast -- or lunch. EPILEPSY The cause of epilepsy in 50% of adults is unknown. . 1-888-223-3366 For More Information 7 be BRITISH COLUMBIA 2001, MARCH - * jer 1700 prog Meg eee screens. 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