International events
Winter
International day of zero tolerance for female genital mutilation
A day designated by the United Nations to eliminate female genital mutilation, internationally recognised as a breach of the human rights of women and girls. More specifically, genital mutilation violates their rights to health, safety and physical integrity, their right to not be submitted to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to life in cases where the procedure leads to the death of the victim.
International day of girls and women in science
A day to protest against the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The aim is to achieve equitable access to science for girls and women and full participation in it, ensuring gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. It is an international day designated by the United Nations.
European sexual health day
A celebration instigated by the European Sexual Health Alliance to validate the role that love and sexual intimacy play in people’s wellbeing and quality of life. The World Health Organisation reminds us that sexual health is not only the absence of illnesses or dysfunctions, but that it also requires a positive, respectful approach to sexuality and safe sexual relations free of coercion, discrimination and violence.
European equal pay day
This day aims to raise citizen awareness of the gender pay gap and responds to the European Parliament's call to highlight the fundamental role that social agents play in reducing this gap. It is based on the European Union's founding principle: ‘Equal pay for equal work’.
International women's day
A day that marks women’s struggle for equal rights, opportunities and outcomes, and demands an end to harassment, discrimination and other types of violence such as the trafficking of women, female genital mutilation and forced marriage. Recognised by the UN, the origin of the Day is in the 1857 textile workers’ strike in North America, the Cotton factory fire and the fire in Triangle Shirtwaist Company, on 25 March 1911.
Spring
International domestic workers’ day
A day to fight against the precarious employment conditions of this labour sector concerned with domestic and care work. To assert the right to have a contract of employment, better pay, unemployment benefit, paid leave in case of accident, and so on. It therefore calls for the ratification of Convention 189 of the International Labour Organisation.
Lesbian visibility day
Day to defend equal rights for lesbians and help to highlight their reality by creating a collective image adapted to the diversity that exists in our society.
International day against LGBTI-phobia
It commemorates the World Health Organisation’s declassification of homosexuality as a mental illness on that day in 1990. Its purpose is to raise awareness of LGBTIphobia and promote interest on the part of the general public and the authorities in guaranteeing LGBTI rights around the world.
International women’s day for peace and disarmament
This day was instituted in 1982 by groups of European women pacifists to remember the British women’s’ campaigns to oppose NATO and the installation of their military bases. It is a commemoration that also serves to show the world the violence suffered by women in armed conflicts and post-conflict situations.
International day of action for women’s health
A day to denounce women's inequality in terms of health. A call for public authorities to analyse the situation of women from the perspective of gender, taking all the differential factors into account, including among others genetic, biological, physiological, endocrinological and psychological factors, in addition to the inequalities and gender roles that can also affect women’s health and their access to health care.
International day for the rights of birth and respectful childbirth
A day designated by the Platform for the Rights of Birth, which establishes a series of guidelines to improve mother-baby contact. Some of the recommendations are to respect mother and baby time, to promote skin-to-skin contact after birth, to not force feeding until the baby is ready and to avoid supplements that contain water, glucose or breast-milk substitutes.
Summer
International widow’s day
A day recognised by the UN to assert the rights of widows. Often, studies about women are not broken down by civil status, making widows invisible. In many countries, widows are denied inheritance and land rights and they are submitted to degrading burial and grief rituals and other forms of abuse. The social situation of a woman is linked to that of her husband, so when he dies she no longer has a place in society and her children are often affected.
Pride parade
It remembers the day in 1969 when police attacked the Stonewall Inn gay bar in New York. This was the first time that the gay community rebelled forcefully against the institutional and social repression they suffered. It is generally considered that its success marked the start of homosexual liberation. On June 26, 1977, on the Ramblas of Barcelona, the first manifestation for the rights of the LGBT community of Spain took place.
World day against trafficking in persons
A day established by the UN to put an end to the trafficking of people, a crime that exploits women, children and men for numerous purposes, including forced work and sex. According to the International Labour Organisation, there are almost 21 million victims of trafficking in the world. One of the biggest difficulties in fighting against trafficking is that the majority of victims are unidentified and, therefore, they do not have access to assistance or protection.
World breastfeeding week
Officially instituted by the World Health Organisation and UNICEF in 1992, this is currently the most recognised social movement in defence of breastfeeding and improving infant health around the world. It also aims to raise awareness of how important it is to help mothers who are breastfeeding.
World sexual health day
A celebration that aims to disseminate and promote awareness among the population about the importance of sexual health in everybody's lives, and to inform about sexual rights, which are human rights. This day is promoted by the World Health Organisation, which explicitly states that the sexual rights of all people must be respected, protected and allowed to be fully exercised.
Autumn
International day against the sexual exploitation and trafficking of women and children
This day was instituted by the International Conference against Human Trafficking, in coordination with the Women’s Conference of 1999 to celebrate Argentina's promulgation of Law 9,143 of 23/09, the world's first legal ruling against child prostitution. It foments the defence the rights of women and children and groups in vulnerable situations.
International bisexuality day
It was first held in California in 1999. Its purpose is to assert, recognise and celebrate bisexuality, as well as respond to marginalisation and prejudice in the LGBTI community and the general public towards bisexual people.
World contraception day
A day that since its inception has enjoyed the support of a coalition of ten international non-governmental organisations and various scientific and medical societies with an interest in sexual health and reproduction. It main objective is to improve sexual and reproductive health by promoting awareness and disseminating information about sexuality and contraception.
International decriminalisation of abortion day
A day that calls for governments to decriminalise abortion and to provide legal, safe, accessible sexual and reproductive health services. Criminalising abortion breaches the dignity and physical integrity of women, and especially women in vulnerable situations. Safe abortion notably decreases the risk of complications and mortality.
Trans october
The International day of action for trans depathologization, convened by Stop Trans Pathologization is celebrated around the world. In Barcelona, various activist and public activities are organised by trans* people and organisations throughout the month of October.
Breast cancer awareness month
The World Health Organisation (WHO) dedicates a whole month to the fight against this illness. This is the most frequent malignant tumour among women. The main weapon to fight this illness is early diagnosis, thus the entire population must be made aware of the need for prevention and regular check-ups. Within this month-long awareness drive, 19 October is the specific fight against breast cancer day.
International day of the girl child
This day is committed to recognising the rights of young girls and to denounce the problems they face all over the world: gender discrimination, lack of gender equality in primary education and practices like ablation and forced marriage. Recognised by the United Nations, the day is designated to demand equal rights and opportunities between girls and boys.
International day of rural women
This day, recognised by the UN, highlights women’s contribution to the developing world. According to the UN, rural women make up more than a third of the world’s population and 43% of the agricultural workforce. The day also denounces the inequality they suffer with respect to their male counterparts regarding access to land, loans, agricultural material, markets, education, health care, political spaces of engagement, and so on.
International day for the elimination of violence against women
This day commemorates the violent assassination of the Mirabel sisters (Patria, Minerva and María Teresa), three political activists assassinated by the dictator Rafael Trujillo’s secret police in the Dominican Republic in 1960. For the popular feminist movement, these women have historically symbolised the resistance and fight against violence towards women. The day calls for an end to gender inequality and all types of discrimination.