Which U.S. political party organized the 1909 Woman's Day in New York City?

The Socialist Party of America organized New York City’s first “Woman’s Day” event in 1909. Held on February 28, the event was an early American predecessor to the international observance now known as International Women’s Day.

The initiative was proposed in the Socialist Party by activist Theresa Malkiel. The event connected women’s political rights with labor and socialist organizing, reflecting campaigns for voting rights, better working conditions, and broader economic equality. It was not yet the global March 8 holiday recognized today.

The American observance helped inspire international socialist women’s organizing. At a 1910 conference in Copenhagen, Clara Zetkin and other delegates proposed an annual women’s day. The idea was accepted, although no date was fixed at that meeting.

The first widely celebrated International Women’s Day took place on March 19, 1911, with demonstrations and gatherings in Austria-Hungary, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. March 8 became the established date after later developments, including the role of women’s protests in Russia in 1917.

A frequent mistake is to attribute the 1909 event to a modern U.S. party such as the Democrats or Republicans. The documented organizer was the Socialist Party of America.