Today, 8 March is International Women’s Day. Although the origin of the holiday is highly political, today it has turned into one of the favourite holidays for women. Men, in turn, try to turn this day into a real celebration for women once more praising the female gender and evaluating women’s role in family and society. Gifts seem to be an integral part of this holiday. It is already a few days that the perfume, cosmetics and souvenir shops are crowded unlike other days. In these days, customers of these shops are mostly men. Starting from yesterday, the flower shops are also crowded.

The Armenian women seem not to be very demanding and do not wish to receive “unattainable” gifts from men.

In an interview with Panorama.am, advocate Liana Balyan said: “I am waiting for the spring holidays in a unique way, as the spring brings with it warmth, new expectations, hopes and dreams. March 8 is one of those wonderful holidays, when the form of the most desirable gift for me is not significant – be  it a small bouquet or a more expensive item. The most important thing is that the gift contains love, devotion and sincerity. I have always received flowers and perfumes on March 8. However, for me the happiest and the most cherished moment is when in the morning of March 8 I present flowers to my mom and kiss her on the cheek. And my mother’s sincere smile and happiness are the most important gifts for 8 March that I have always received and continue to receive.”

Head of the Rehabilitation and Intensive Care Unit of Yerevan’s “St. Virgin” medical center Anna Chobanyan wants to receive a very interesting book.

“I always receive diverse numerous gifts – flowers, jewellery or perfume. The presents are quite different. Today I want to receive a very interesting book,” she said.

Project Manager of Enterprise Incubator Foundation Zhenya Azizyan noted: “I do not like to receive gifts from women: only from my daughter or mother. Maybe it is pleasant to receive flowers on this day. The most important thing is the attitude, not the price of the gift. If they remember you and present a small bouquet, be it field flower or snowdrop, it is always pleasant.”

The gift that sculptor Nune Tumanyan wants is not, as she puts it, “very characteristic for a women.”

“It is desirable for me to receive an order to unveil one of my sculptors in the city. And also I want to have a large and bright workshop… it would certainly not do any harm,” N. Tumanyan said.

Gayane, who is a teacher, has already received her gift. “My students have organized an open class by themselves inviting me other teachers. Is there a better gift than this one?” she said.

March 8 was initially inspired by a New York City demonstration on March 8th, 1857, of women garment and textile workers who were protesting low wages, the twelve-hour workday, and uncompensated increased workloads. Although their march was brutally broken up by the police, they repeated their call for improved working conditions and equal pay for all working women as they formed their own union in March 1860.

In 1910 the first international women’s conference was held in Copenhagen by the Second International and an ‘International Women’s Day’ was established, which was submitted by the important German Socialist Clara Zetkin, although no date was specified.

The following year, 1911, IWD was marked by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany,Switzerland. Since 1914, IWD is marked on 8 March, as women of Austria, Hungary, Germany, Netherlands and Russia set the tradition.

Armenian law on “Holidays and Memorial Days” of June 24, 2001 defines March 8 official Women’s Day and April 7 Mother’s Day, both non-working days.