International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day to recognize the achievements of women, whether that be cultural, political or social. It has taken place every year since 1911 and officially on March 8 since 1913.

To celebrate this day, UW-Eau Claire’s Queer & Trans People of Color Student Association (QTPOC) organized the Sisterhood Soiree, which occurred from 7-9 p.m. on Friday, March 8 in Centennial Hall.

The gathering was free and open to anyone who wanted to join. Activities included bracelet making, nail painting, coloring, games and watching the movie, “Real Women Have Curves.” Snacks, baked goods, candy and mocktails were provided as well.

“We wanted to make International Women’s Day more inclusive to people who may not fit into that binary of women,” said Lily Jones, QTPOC president and a second-year elementary education student. “We decided to say it was for the ‘girls, gays and theys’ so that we could open it for everyone to celebrate.”

IWD does not belong to a specific group or organization; it is not controlled by one government, corporation, charity, etc. It is meant to be celebrated by all groups and all people around the world.

The day is also an important day for raising awareness about women’s equality, advocating for accelerating gender parity and raising funds for charities that are focused on women.

“Even though we don’t always think about it, women are still marginalized and not uplifted most of the time,” Jones said. “I think it’s really important for the university to at least put out a statement, celebrating the day because of the many things that women have brought to the world.”

The campaign theme of IWD 2024 is “inspire inclusion,” meaning to inspire not only those who identify as women but all people to work towards a more inclusive world. Inclusivity of women also means accepting any diversity of race, religion, body type, age and sexual orientation.

According to Jones, this theme was interpreted as accepting every person who wanted to share this day and celebrate, not just allowing them to come but openly welcoming them.

With this theme of inclusivity, all IWD activity is valid, helpful and encouraged. People worldwide can participate in whatever way is meaningful and relevant to them. As long as it is supporting and advancing women, collective action can make a huge difference.

“I think students can inspire inclusion by simply wearing pronoun pins or patches. I do this to display that I am a safe person to be yourself around,” Jones said. “Coming from Madison, it is a lot smaller here, so showing love no matter what, even if you don’t know them, is really important.”

The Sisterhood Soiree was also sponsored by the Gender & Sexuality Resource Center and the Multicultural Student Services. If you are interested in joining QTPOC, Jones said they have weekly meetings at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays in Centennial 1108

Matczak can be reached at [email protected].