International Women’s Day- for 8 March 2016

By SJ Otto

It is international Women’s Day. For a brief history of the day, I repeat an article from February 27, 2011, posted originally on Wichita Peace and Freedom Party Examiner:

InternationalWomen’s Day was declared following the decision agreed at Copenhagen in 1911. International Women's Day (IWD) was honoured the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, March 19. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. However less than a week later on 25 March, the tragic 'Triangle Fire' in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women. This event drew significant attention to working conditions and labour legislation in the United States that became a focus of subsequent International Women's Day events.
Since that year Women’s Day is now celebrated all over the world, on or near March 8. It is celebrated in many countries, including China.

Here are some important Women who have shaped today's music scene:

Grace Slick was a ground breaking singer for the Jefferson Airplane. She also sang for the Jefferson Starship at times and she had her own solo career for a while. When Slick started singing acid rock music there were few other women playing that role. Today many women sing for hard rock bands. Slick was perhaps the first of them.

Yoko Ono, オノ・ヨーコ Is known for being the wife of the late Beatle John Lennon. But she has also been an artist, singer, songwriter, film maker and peace activist.

Katy Perry Is an up and coming singer, songwriter, and actress. She is an example of today's new women in music.

Patti Smith Is known for her contributions to the punk music scene of the 1970s.