The event ended in struggles with the police. In 1909 the first Women's Day was celebrated nationally in the United States to commemorate ordinary women and their struggle for equal rights. In 1975, during International Women's Year, the United Nations began celebrating March 8 as International Women's Day. The south African leading ecumenical magazine together with Quo Vadis Communications recognised have put together a subsidised training course in journalism for this sector and are offering a basic communications course to empower the sector to communicate effectively. Subjects covered include English, basic word processing skills, writing and reporting sills, interview skills, sub-editing and editing, headline writing, layout and design, the ABC of writing a report for an organisation, media liaison, compilation and dissemination of media releases, formulation of a crisis communication plan, and how to use photographs for maximum effect.
Participants can choose to do a weekend or a midweek course.
Attendance of all four sessions is compulsory in order to complete the course successfully. The venue is IS Integrated Solutions, Midrand, South Africa. More than 60 women, including 40 delegates, gathered in Montreal, from 3-7 November 1999, to finalise plans for the World March of Women. In Montreal, New York, Geneva and other major cities, March 8 is the official launch of the World March and the start of the global signature campaign in support of 17 world demands. From March 8-October 17, millions of signed cards will be sent to the UN Secretary Kofi Annan.