International Women's Day 2013: President Obama's Official Proclamation, Google Celebrates By Changing Homepage Image

International Women's Day or IWD has been celebrated since the early 1900's, with the first one occurring in 1909 in accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. Over a 100 years later and we are still celebrating IWD. Google made a point to celebrate today (Friday) by transforming its logo into a drawing of various women from different backgrounds and ages.

There is a much bigger significance to today than just a drawing on Google's homepage. It's a day for millions of women around the world to celebrate and look back upon the advancements made in human rights while also looking towards the struggles women continue to face.

IWD originated when female garment workers in New York city protested against inhumane working conditions and low wages. On March 8, 1908 over 15,000 marched in New York City. The slogan "bread and roses" emerged from the protests symbolizing economic security and better living standards.

IWD has expanded to many countries, becoming an official holiday in many of them. In the United States there are over 200 events planned in honor of IWD, which you can learn all about here.

For millions of women around the world International Women's Day is a very important holiday. It symbolizes years of hardships and fighting. It also reminds people that a lot of work still needs to be done.

The White House released an official proclamation today. According to Politico, President Obama said in a statement, "Empowering women isn't just the right thing to do - it's the smart thing to do." Obama went on to say, "When women succeed, nations are more safe, more secure, and more prosperous.  Over the last year, we've seen women and girls inspiring communities and entire countries to stand up for freedom and justice, and I'm proud of my Administration's efforts to promote gender equality worldwide."

Are there any women throughout history that you looked up to? Are any of them artists? Comment below with your thoughts.