International Women’s Day, held on the 8 March each year, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

Gloria Steinem, feminist, journalist and activist once explained “The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.”

The world has been been celebrating International Women’s Day since the early 1900’s. The very first day was organised by the Socialist Party of America in 1909. Then, after women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917, the 8 March was confirmed. In 1967, the feminist movement took up the mantle and in 1975 the United Nations began to celebrate the day.

Since then, many countries and societies have made the day their own. In some countries it is a public holiday, in others it is known for its protests and marches in the street and yet for others it continues to be, at least, a social acknowledgement.

Today, there are numerous social groups around the world supporting women in tango. The World Tango Championship in Buenos Aries includes a women’s leading pista competition as part of the programme. There are more and more debates, conferences and articles offered by women from all walks of tango life; dancers, singers, teachers and musicians.

The ever-increasing Queer Tango movement challenges the age-old traditional tango boundaries for who should lead and who should follow and insists on open and changing dance roles or same-sex tango. This presents enourmous and exciting possibilities for all tango dancers; Women and men learning and dancing both lead and follow roles.

Indeed, International Women’s Day is held in high regard as an industrious and necessary social movement that meaningfully contributes to the ongoing evolution of Argentine Tango.

Here’s to the ladies who dance!

—

REFERENCE

Wikapedia – https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women%27s_Day

About – https://www.internationalwomensday.com/About

#tango4all – https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=tango4all

Pictured – Yana Khalilova, Tango Teacher from St Petersburg, Russia and based in Berlin, Germany – https://www.facebook.com/100001381958466

Photographer – Asya Moiseeva, Tango DJ from St Petersburg, Russia and based in Paris, France – https://www.facebook.com/magmasya