The History and Current Situation of March 8 in Ukraine
The origins of International Women's Day are linked to events on March 8, 1857, in New York. The fight of Ukrainian women for their rights intensified in the 19th century. For instance, in 1861, the councils of Kyiv and Kharkiv universities allowed women to attend lectures and obtain degrees, but in 1863, a new University Statute deprived them of this opportunity.
At the women's forum in Copenhagen in 1910, German communist Clara Zetkin proposed the establishment of an International Women's Day on March 8, which was supported by delegates from 17 countries.
In Soviet Ukraine, it was decided in 1920 to make March 8 a holiday and a day off, but only for women and just for that year. It started to be widely celebrated later on. In 1965, this date became an official holiday in the USSR, and in 1961, a governmental decree was developed to establish it as a red day on the calendar. The UN General Assembly proposed in 1977 that member states celebrate International Women's Day. Since then, annual celebrations are held under a specific, changing slogan each year.
Contemporary Discussions and Legislative Initiatives
Attitudes towards March 8 in Ukrainian society are mixed. While in 2017, half of the respondents celebrated it, by the time of the full-scale invasion this figure dropped to 34%, and in 2024, only 23% of respondents considered this day a holiday. This reflects the general trend of re-evaluating the historical legacy in the country.
Legislative initiatives aimed at changing the approach to the holiday are also gaining momentum. In February 2023, a bill No. 9009 was submitted to the Verkhovna Rada proposing to abolish March 8 and establish new dates: Ukrainian Women's Day on February 25 and Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May. Later, on March 2, 2026, a draft resolution No. 15052 was registered on the parliament's website to establish a holiday in Ukraine — Ukrainian Women's Day.
According to the Labor Code of Ukraine, March 8 remains an official state holiday. However, since March 15, 2022, due to law No. 2136-IX, the provisions on holidays and non-working days have been temporarily suspended. Discussions around this date continue, which is confirmed by the historical wording of the Constitution of the Ukrainian People's Republic that 'the right of the Ukrainian People's Republic knows no difference in rights and obligations between men and women.'
In the 21st century, March 8 is still celebrated, yet its meaning is actively being re-evaluated. Ukrainian society is seeking answers to the question: should the old tradition be preserved or is it necessary to find new forms of recognizing the contributions and achievements of women?
The situation surrounding this day reflects the transformation of social values and approaches to gender issues. On one hand, the holiday remains a symbol of the struggle for women's rights, but on the other hand, debates about its relevance and the possibility of introducing new dates that better correspond to modern realities are becoming increasingly pertinent. In conditions of war and social changes, society is seeking new ways to honor women, symbolizing the evolution of public consciousness.