Azernews.Az

By Aysel Huseynli

International Women's Day is marked on March 8 every year. It is a happy day for every woman as all are being celebrated for their beautiful individuality. It is the day of our mothers, grandmothers and sisters. It is a major day of global celebration when women's economic, political and social achievements are hailed and recognized.

A day of happiness, families and friends particularly like to get together to mark the special event.

This beautiful spring holiday is often celebrated with a festive meal and some champagne. Another popular choice to celebrate March 8th is to visit friends and loved ones. Gifts such as flowers, postcards with poetry, chocolate, and other pleasant gestures are presented to mothers, wives, grandmothers, sisters and daughters. And while of course all women are always beautiful on this special occasion they are as charming and fragrant as flowers.

A little bit of history...

International Women’s Day is an official holiday in many countries of the world. It is now an official holiday in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and the others. In 1975, during International Women's Year, the United Nations began celebrating International Women's Day on 8 March. The General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions.

The decision to celebrate the International Women’s Day has been taken by the proposal of Clara Zetkin in the second International Conference of women socialists held in 1910 in Copenhagen. Since those days, every country in the world is celebrating the 8th of March also as the Day of Solidarity and Struggle for Peace. Women demanded equal rights and the right to vote. Americans continued to celebrate National Women’s Day on the last Sunday in February. With time the meaning of the holiday evolved to an apolitical celebration of women. The International Women’s Day logo is in purple and white and features the symbol of Venus, which is also the symbol of being female. The faces of women of all backgrounds, ages, and nations are also seen in various promotions, such as posters, postcards and information booklets, on International Women’s Day.

Azerbaijani women who have left their mark in history

International Women's Day was first observed in Azerbaijan as a popular event in 1917. March 8 has been announced as a non-working holiday in 1965 in the Soviet Azerbaijan. After Azerbaijan gained its independence, March 8th retained its status.

Azerbaijanis have always taken great pride in the fact that their country was the first nation in the East to extend the franchise to women, a step it took even before the United States did. Universal suffrage was introduced in Azerbaijan in 1918 by the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, thus making Azerbaijan the first Muslim country ever to enfranchise women. Azerbaijani women were historically very well respected in family and were independent. The integral part of Azerbaijan culture is the creativity of women. Each of the following women has made a significant contribution to society.

Khurshidbanu Natevan

Daughter of the last Karabakh khan – Mehdi Kulu-khan, Natevan was one of the best lyrical poetesses of Azerbaijan. She was a prominent mind and figure of her time. Natevan’s literary heritage consists of mainly ghazals, which major characteristics are humanism, kindness, friendship and love.

Sara Khatun

She was the first “First Lady” in Azerbaijan history and the first Eastern female diplomat. She was Agqoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan’s mother. Her great mind and cleverness helped her make quick decisions in difficult situations. She was an honorable and strong woman with great military skills.

Zarifa Aliyeva

Zarifa was an Azerbaijani ophthalmologist, academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan and professor. Main part of her activity was related to Azerbaijan State Institute of Advanced Medical Studies. Zarifa Aliyeva is the author of 14 monographs and hundreds of research papers, 12 rationalization proposals.

Leyla Mammadbeyova

Leyla was the first Azerbaijani female aviator. She was also the first female pilot in the Caucasus, Southern Europe and the Middle East.

Aida Imanguliyeva

Imanguliyeva was an active orientalist-scientist who earned respect of the scientific community. She was a member of the Presidium of All-Union Oriental Studies Society and the All-Union Coordination Council on survey of Eastern literature in the former USSR. As a representative of Azerbaijan's orientalists' school, she gave lectures in scientific congresses, symposiums, sessions held in Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Poltava, Dushanbe, Tbilisi and other cities.

Khadija Gaibova

An excellent Azerbaijani female pianist, Gaibova was also "the first Azerbaijani woman performing on the public stage improvisation based on the themes from various mughams". She was one of the founders of the Azerbaijan State Conservatory in 1920.

Salatyn Asgarova

Salatyn Asgarova is a national hero of Azerbaijan. She was one of the Azerbaijani journalists killed in the Nagorno-Karabakh war. Salatyn was a young, very active member and correspondent of "Molodej Azerbaijan" the Soviet newspaper.

Nigar Shikhlinskaya

Shikhlinskaya was the first Azerbaijani nurse. She was fluent in several languages, including Russian and French and served on the Western Front of World War I, where she opened the Red Cross hospital. Her appeal to women was published in the Russkiy Invalid (Russian Disabled Person) newspaper. Shikhlinskaya co-ran the Red Cross community.

Faegheh Atashin

Faegheh Atashin also known by her stage name Googoosh , is an Iranian singer and actress, whose roots hail from Azerbaijan. She is known for her contributions to Iranian pop music. She achieved the pinnacle of her fame and success towards the end of the 1970s. Her overall impact and contributions to Middle Eastern and Central Asian pop-music earned her the title of the most iconic female pop-singer from those regions.

Shovkat Mammadova

Shovkat Mammadova was an Azerbaijani opera singer (lyric coloratura soprano) and music instructor. In 1923, Shovkat Mammadova founded the Musical Notes Publishing House as well as the Baku

Theatrical College (She was later appointed the Chair of the Vocal Department at the Azerbaijan State Conservatory, where she professionally trained young vocalists until her death in 1981.