In March of 1910, the Second International Conference of Women was held in Copenhagen, where nearly 100 women, representing 17 countries, decided that the first “International Woman’s Day” would be celebrated the next year. March 8, 1911, marked the first time women’s rights and their contributions were recognized.
It took many decades, but the movement grew from a single day to a week of recognition. In 1978, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (Calif.) Commission on the Status of Women was disturbed by the lack of information on prominent women in history being taught in public schools.