International Women's Day, March 8, is one of the significant historical days. The initiative to establish it in 1910 was made by the Leader of the Women's Group of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Clara Zetkin, at a meeting of the Second International Conference of Socialists in Copenhagen in memory of 129 female worker who were burned on March 8, 1857 in America as a result of major strikes of workers, the purpose of this holiday Zetkin called the struggle of women for their rights. This proposal was accepted.

Although March 8 was declared an official holiday in the former USSR, it was a working day until 1965, and only by the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated May 8, 1965, March 8 International Women's Day was accepted as a non-working day.

The year 1975 has a special significance for the women of the world. This year has gone down in history as the International Women's Year. Two years later, in 1977, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted March 8 as the day of women's rights and international peace.

After gaining independence, Azerbaijan declared International Women's Day on March 8 as a non-working day.

Azerbaijani women have given the world writers, prominent scientists and artists, well-known political figures.

Looking back at the pages of our history, it becomes obvious that the Azerbaijani people have highly valued women throughout their history, the expression "Mother's right is the Right of God", as well as the respectful address to a woman "Okom gatun" in the dastan "Book of Dede Korkut" is a vivid example of the veneration of the cult of a woman among the Oghuz.

At the same time, the name of the first female diplomat of Azerbaijan, the mother of the ruler of the Ag Goyunlu state Uzun Hasan and Djahangir Mirza, the daughter of Pir Ali Bayandur Sara Khatun (Saray), in the face of our Khatun women was written in golden letters on the pages of our centuries-old history.

Khurshidbanu Natava, the only heir and granddaughter of the founder of the Karabakh Khanate, Ibrahim Khalil- khan, was called the “Khan's daughter” for a reason.
Turning to the recent past, should be noted the name of Agabaji Rzayeva , the first female composer of Azerbaijan, who received professional music education both in Azerbaijan and throughout the East.

Shafiga Akhundova, the composer of the opera "Rock of Brides", went down in history as the first woman in the East who wrote an opera.

Gamar Salamzadeh was the first female film director in the entire Muslim East.

Leyla Mammadbeyova is the first pilot in the Muslim East.

Even in modern times, our women make their valuable contributions to the development of independent Azerbaijan and actively participate in the international women's movement. The decree dated March 6, 2000, signed by the great leader Heydar Aliyev, " On implementing state policy regarding women in the Republic of Azerbaijan" is a clear example of this.

The socio-economic policy implemented by Ilham Aliyev, the worthy follower of Heydar Aliyev's policy, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, focuses on the women's problem. For this purpose, the " The State Committee for Family, Women and Children's Affairs" was established by the Decree of President Ilham Aliyev dated February 6, 2006.

On the basis of the legislative initiative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the law "On Guarantees of Gender (Men and Women) Equality" adopted by the Milli Majlis in December 2006 serves to increase the role of women in the family and state building, and to improve the system of protecting their legal, social and moral interests.

These rights given to our women by our independent state have created great opportunities for them to work diligently and responsibly in all the higher bodies of our country. The First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the First Lady of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva represents the women of Azerbaijan at the highest level with her work, skills and invaluable qualities, both in our country and far from the homeland, and proves what an Azerbaijani woman is capable of.

Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva, carries out important work in promoting Azerbaijan and developing the potential of Azerbaijani youth.
In the words of the President of Azerbaijan, Iham Aliyev, "Azerbaijani women, as an active participant in national state-building work, have mobilized all their strength in order to rise to the peak of our achievements in the years of independence and to experience the joy of a brilliant Victory.

“Thanks to her moral strength and iron resolve she brought up the younger generation, which considers its native land sacred, like a mother whom he saw free from birth and attached to national ideals, she instilled in this generation a sense of unshakable faith that by the dictates of history, justice will prevail and our “just cause” will be victorious.”

“This generation, as the most valuable contribution of Azerbaijani women to our modern statehood, having turned into a symbol of the fighting spirit of our people thanks to its courage in the 44-day Patriotic War, has fully justified the hopes”.

Recommended literature:

1. Azərbaycan qadını ensiklopediyası = Encyclopaedia of Azerbaijan Women / red. heyəti: R. Ə. Mehdiyev [et al.]; red.: İ. Ö. Vəliyev [et al.]. - Bakı : Azərbaycan Milli Ensiklopediyası NPB, 2002. - 404 s.
2. Abbasova, Sevinc Zakir qızı. Nəsillərə örnək: Azərbaycan qadını : qədim dövr - orta əsrlər - XIX əsr / S. Z. Abbasova ; elmi red. F. F. Əhmədova ; red. V. Məmmədov. - Bakı : Elm və təhsil, 2014. - 160 s.
3. Abbasova, Sevinc Zakir qızı. Azərbaycan Respublikasında dövlət qadın siyasəti və qadınların tərəqqisi / S. Z. Abbasova ; elmi red. E. Zamanov. - Bakı : Elm və təhsil, 2016. - 546 s.
4. Azərbaycan ailəsi / Azərbaycan Respublikası Ailə, Qadın və Uşaq Problemləri üzrə Dövlət Komitəsi; red. heyəti: H. K. Hüseynova [et al.]. - Bakı : Elm və təhsil, 2016. - 131 s.
5. Zeynallı, Samirə. Tarix yazan xanımlarımız : keçmişdən bugünədək / S. Zeynallı ; red. M. Nemətoğlu. - Bakı : Azərbaycan nəşriyyatı, 2017. - 304 s.