The Google Doodle marking International Women's Day
In its tradition of bringing out a new Doodle for every significant day, Google has revealed a colourful International Women’s Day Doodle that includes the international female symbol surrounded by bright purple and marigold hues.
The Doodle – a stylised Google logo on its homepage – features the international female symbol in bright purple, with the following letters in ‘Google’ in red, marigold, purple, green and red, with a flower in place of the third letter. The Doodle links to a search on all subjects related to International Women’s Day.
International Women’s Day is held on 8 March every year and owes its origins to the first National Women’s Day in the US in 1909, which was soon followed by the first International Women’s Day in 1911. Its prime purpose then was to promote equal rights and suffrage for women.
In 1917 in Russia, demonstrations marking International Women’s Day in St Petersburg initiated the February Revolution and was henceforth celebrated on 8 March in that country.
China has celebrated it unofficially on 8 March since 1922 and as an official holiday since 1949, while in the West in 1977 the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to declare 8 March as the UN Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace.
Each year brings with it a new theme and focus. In 2010, International Women’s Day drew attention to the hardship endured by displaced women in today’s armed conflicts. In 2011, to commemorate its 100th anniversary, US President Barack Obama proclaimed March 2011 to be ‘Women’s History Month’, calling on Americans to mark the extraordinary accomplishments of women shaping that country’s history while Secretary of State Hilary Clinton launched the ‘100 Women Initiative’.
In 2012, the UN theme for International Women’s Day is ‘Empower Women – End Hunger and Poverty.’
