International Women's Day –8th March
пятница 7 марта 2025, 14:54
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In the last few years we can see how the world's attitude towards 8th March has changed. It is worth recalling that initially this important date was not a holiday at all. 8th March has become crucial for many women of the world. Their many years of struggle, pain and loss have borne fruit - international recognition of women's rights. One of the first mass demonstrations of women for their rights took place on 8th March 1857 in New York City. Women demanded shorter working hours and higher wages on a par with men's working conditions. Many years later, a similar thing happened in Russia - on 8th March 1917, Petrograd women workers went on strike demanding ‘Bread and Peace’. By the 1970s and 1980s, the date was finally established as a holiday of femininity, spring, care and love, and 8th March ceased to be associated with protests. The Circulation Desk of Foreign Literature (4Turgeneva St., room 356) hastens to bring you a selection of books devoted to such a significant date for women. “The Politics of Women's Liberation: A Case Study of an Emerging Social Movement and Its Relation to the Policy Process” by Jo Freeman analyses the emergence and development of women's liberation movement in the United States and its impact on the political process. The book explores the following aspects: the origins of the movement, its goals and strategies, its impact on the political process, its relations with other political forces, and its internal contradictions and disagreements. The book will be interesting for a deeper study of the emergence of women's struggle for their rights and its history. If you are interested in the history of women's progress in arts, we suggest “The Body of Poetry: Essays on Women, Form, and the Poetic Self” by Annie Finch, which is a collection of essays, reviews, and memoirs. The author writes about women's poetry and music, the place of women poets in the canon, and the work of such poets as Emily Dickinson, Phyllis Wheatley, Sarah Teasdale, Audrey Lorde, Marilyn Hacker, and John Peck. According to Annie Finch, the purpose of writing the essay is to create a safe space for her own poetry and to foster a new kind of American women's poetics. Richard Heitman, in “Taking Her Seriously”, proposes a rethinking of the approach to women's spirituality and intellectual power. He argues that Western culture has historically underestimated women's contributions to religious, philosophical, and social thought, often reducing their role to a passive and emotional one. The author analyses the work of women theologians, mystics and philosophers, showing the depth and originality of their ideas. He encourages readers to reject stereotypes and recognise that women have a unique understanding of the world based on their own experience and perspective. “An Alliance of Women” by Heather Merrill is an outstanding work that highlights important aspects of women's identity, solidarity and the struggle for equality. What she offers are not only theoretical analyses but also practical examples that can inspire readers to take action. Merrill emphasises the need for mutual support for women and their initiatives, in both local and global perspectives. This work is an important contribution to contemporary discourse, and its ideas have a significant impact on public consciousness. Literature like “An Alliance of Women” helps people better understand how they can participate in creating a more equal and just world. And on International Women's Day we want to remind our dearest female readers of their strength and uniqueness, which should never be forgotten! And, of course, to visit the library more often! Text and translation by:
Anastasiia Smorkalova |