International Women’s Day (IWD) 2020

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The first International Women’s Day (IWD) was celebrated more than one century ago, within the context of the women’s suffrage movement and the International Socialist Party platforms of Europe and the US. On March 19, 1911, more than 1 million women, in Europe and the US, responded to the call for peace and universal suffrage. In 1917, after granting women the right to vote, March 8 was declared International Women’s Day, in the Soviet Union, a day that began to be widely celebrated, in both Europe and the US. In the United States, it was just three years later, on August 18, 1920, that the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified, prohibiting States and the Federal government from denying or abridging the right to vote, on the basis of sex. 

In 2020, the IWD theme “An equal world is an enabled world” reiterates the underlying tenets of a movement still in progress, striving to show that equality for women is progress for all. In the 60s, IWD also became part of the international Women’s Liberation Movement (WLM), integrating both the political and personal aspects of womanhood.

Suffragettes - 1911

The opposition.... 

IWD 2020

References

International Women’s Day

https://www.internationalwomensday.com/
NAOWS - National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage
https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Association-Opposed-to-Woman-Suffrage

United Nations Observance of March 8

https://www.un.org/en/observances/womens-day
The Constitution of the United States of America
https://www.senate.gov/civics/resources/pdf/US_Constitution-Senate_Publication_103-21.pdf
Women's Rights Movement
https://www.britannica.com/event/womens-movement

International Women's Day!

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Today is International Women's Day! The first International Women's Day was celebrated on Feb. 28, 1909, upon invitation fo the American Socialist Party, within the context of the women's suffrage movement. 

During the International Year of Women, in 1975, the UN voted March 8 International Women's Day.

In July 2010, the UN National Assembly voted for the creation of UN Women, The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. 

• For all the related events happening in NYC, check out UN Women - Media Advisory, 
• For events in your area (everywhere), check out IWD - International Women's Day Events

References

IWD - International Women's Day
https://www.internationalwomensday.com/
IWD - International Women's Day Events
https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Events
UN Women - Media advisory - Internaitonal Women's Day
http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2017/2/media-advisory-international-womens-day-8-march-2017
UN Women - Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030 - Message by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on International Women's Day, 8 March 2017
http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2017/2/statement-ed-phumzile-iwd-2017
UN Women - International Women''s Day
http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/international-womens-day
About UN Women
http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/about-un-women

EPO Oscars! The European Inventor Awards

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann Every year since 2006, the EPO organizes and juries the European Inventor Awards! This year, the awards ceremony will take place on May 28, in The Netherlands, the country which currently presides the European Union. On this date the EPO will select 5 winners, among 15 finalists, in 5 categories: Industry, Small & Medium-sized enterprises, Research, Non-European Patent Organization countries, and Life-time achievement. You can attend the Awards ceremony in 2015, if you register on time. The deadline for registering for the 2014 Awards ceremony was May 3, 2013. … But that might be a bit expensive anyhow, so you can also watch a broadcast of the Awards Ceremony event, in the convenience of your home, at the EPO website. In the interim, you can nominate inventors or inventions for the 2014 awards before Sept. 30, 2013, and join the 4000 EPO patent examiners, who are asked to send in nominations. You can also vote directly for your favorite inventor or inventions among the finalists, and be the Popular Vote, joining the EPO jury composed of distinguished experts in the fields of politics, business, media, science, academia and research – including Ernö Rubik, the inventor of the famous cube puzzle! Now that you are initiated to the world of patents, this is a great place and time to exercise your Patent Apprentice rights! There are few national boundaries in the world of patents as you know, so voting in Europe is a nice extension of your rights to universal suffrage! And if there were a Drop Box for suggestions perhaps that we could suggest a sixth category for Patents with humanitarian impact... and a seventh category for Young Inventors with the most promissing ideas that will revolutionize the world.... and an eighth category for the still under-represented feminine voices that will solve the world's most intractable problems.... Just dreaming… In the next few posts, you will discover some of the EPO Oscars past, and in competition for the 2013 Awards.