International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March each year. This global day connects women around the world and aims to inspire them to achieve their full potential. The day celebrates the collective power of women past, present and future. In 2016 the theme is Pledge for Parity.
The first International Women’s Day was celebrated in Europe in 1911 on 19 March. More than one million men and women attended rallies to campaign for women’s rights and to end discrimination.
Library resources
Have a look at our booklist of books we love by and about women.
The following subject headings link to titles about the history of women and their rights:
- Women — history
- Women — periodicals
- Feminism and feminists
- Sex discrimination against women
- Women in popular culture
- Women — social conditions
- Photos of local women in our collection
Christchurch City Libraries also has copies of magazines such as Ms. For more women’s studies and feminist magazines, search Feminism — periodicals.
eResources
Contemporary Women’s Issues
This resource offers full-text articles that bring together content from mainstream magazines, “grey” literature, and the alternative press — with a focus on the critical issues and events that influence women’s lives in more than 190 countries.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context
This resource offers full-text articles from many perspectives on major contentious social, political, and technological issues. Some topics that particularly affect women are the gender gap, women’s health, and women’s rights.
Women
Internet Gateway listing of sites including women in business, women’s and gender studies and women’s health
Women’s societies and clubs
Local groups for women listed on our community information directory CINCH.
Women and the vote in New Zealand
New Zealand was the first self-governing country in the world to grant the vote to all adult women. Search the library catalogue for books on suffragists and women’s suffrage.
New Zealand women and the vote
Information on women and suffrage from New Zealand History Online.
Women’s Suffrage Petition
The petition was organised in 1893, and was described by Kate Sheppard as “a monster petition” demanding the right for women to vote. A digital image of the actual petition held at National Archives. Search for the names of women who signed the petition at New Zealand History Online.
Women’s Suffrage Movement
Article from 1966 An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock.
Kate Sheppard
Christchurch’s Kate Sheppard was the leader and main figurehead of the suffragist movement in New Zealand.
Kate Sheppard
Books about Kate Sheppard in our catalogue.
Kate Sheppard and Votes for Women
Information about Kate Sheppard’s life and work.
