Women’s Day in Ukraine

International Women’s Day is marked in order to express gratitude to women and acknowledge their presence and importance in our lives. Although it is commemorated in order to memorize the fights and strikes thousands of women put up a century back to demand their safety, importance, rights, and fair treatment; today the celebration has taken different forms in different countries. After UN’s continuous efforts to prioritize women and to allow them to participate in worldly matters as equal partners with men, International Women’s Day is celebrated everywhere henceforth. Each country does their own share of commemoration and celebration in their own archetypal ways. But from a larger point of view, it focuses on upholding, promoting and safeguarding women’s rights.

Women’s Day in Ukraine is solemnized on 8th of March like most countries. Of the nine national holidays that Ukraine observes, Women’s Day is one when people enjoy a holiday. It was a state holiday of the former Soviet Union since 1965. After the degeneration of the Soviet Union, Ukraine continued to observe Women’s Day and the holiday was also kept.

Although, 8th of March, 2015 fell on Sunday which is a holiday; most Ukrainian workers got a day off on Monday that is March 9. Even in 2014, Women’s Day was observed on March 10 as calendar wise March 8 was Saturday. When a public holiday falls on a weekend in Ukraine, Ukrainians enjoy the next working day off. Just like Women’s Day, Men's Day is also observed in Ukraine; however it is not a declared holiday.

International Women’s Day is celebrated in Ukraine in the most thoughtful manner. As this day is a public holiday across Ukraine,museums,and libraries, many shops, as well as government offices and educational institutions remain closed.Eitheron the same day or on the next day many activities take place here to commemorate a woman’s importance, their status, their achievementsand their rights.

Conferences and presentations concentrating on women’s life, their method of dealing with day to day affairs and unprecedented events, their everyday struggles, their rights and history of this day are being held on this occasion. There are public gatherings and meetings where lot of discussions take place in order to acknowledge and promote women’s rights, gender equality, their empowerment, better opportunities and many other related topics.

Its celebration is also reflected on public life as men buy flowers, confectionary, cards and many other gift items for the women in their lives. Be shea girlfriend, wife, mother or any other family member, men thank them for being there with a little token of gratitude and love. It can be anything but flowers are customary. Flowers such as tulipsandroses, adorn the streets and displays of shops in Ukrainian marketsas special bouquets or loose flowers are being purchased hereat a large scale on International Women’s Day. Gifting flowers to women not only is a gesture of honour from their men, it also signifies the beginning of spring in Ukraine.