Berlin is the first jurisdiction in the European Union to declare March 8th a public holiday to honour International Women’s Day.
It should go without saying that men are also privy to a day off.
#Berlin to be the first federal state of Germany to declare #InternationalWomensDay a public holiday! #Frauentag pic.twitter.com/v0Nhm4UQup
— Sabine Mueller (@sabine_mueller1) January 24, 2019
The German capital, a city-state, is the first of Germany’s 16 states to allow its citizens to play hooky for the occasion. Berlin’s legislature voted voted 87 to 60 in favour of sending the initiative to parliament, where it is expected to pass.
While International Women’s Day is widely celebrated in Canada, it is of course just another date on the economic calendar. Only 27 countries in the world recognize it as a holiday.
The first Women’s Day was celebrated in New York in 1909. Eight years later, Soviet Russia became the first country in the world to recognize it as a holiday. Interestingly, International Women’s Day in China and Madagascar is only a holiday for women.
Given Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s proclivity for identifying as a feminist, I’m surprised this March 8th will be just another Friday in Canada.