The evolution of a month to honor women began on March 8, 1857, when garment workers in New York staged one of the first organized protests by working women.

Women and young girls have been a major work force in the American history but they didn’t have a voice. Their horrendous working conditions in New York City's garment industry finally took hold and would inspire International Women's Day.

By the early 1900s, women had had enough of their poor pay, six-day work weeks and nonexistent voting rights. It was simply hard labor in harsh conditions. They began to organize, and in 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York demanding better working conditions. At first there was any man joining them in their causes. At one point during the march, some of the signs shouting: “Here are the women, where are the men” finally drew some male supporters along the way.

At the turn of the last century about 69 percent of all women's clothing was made in New York at factories like the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. On March 25, 1911, the building famously caught fire, trapping young girls inside. In less than an hour, 146 workers died. The disaster drew significant attention to working conditions and labor legislation in the U.S.

Women’s groups internationally have designated times to mark this day. In an effort to begin adding women’s history into educational curricula, a Women’s History Week was initiated in 1978. By 1981, the week was a national event, and in 1987, the National Women’s Project petitioned Congress to include all of March as a celebration of women.