Historically, observation of International Women’s Day, is a day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Typically marked on March 8, the occasion has been observed since the early 1900s.

Today, International Women’s Day is celebrated in more than 100 countries and is an official holiday in many of them. It’s a day that’s all about unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action. The 2021 event will be held virtually on Saturday, March 6, with a theme of “Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights.”

The Colorado Springs celebration of International Women’s Day is organized and underwritten by eight partnering women’s organizations, including AAUW Colorado Springs Branch, Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region, Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival, The Woman’s Club of Colorado Springs, Women’s Educational Society of Colorado College and Zonta Club of Colorado Springs.

Liz Killeen-Scott, vice president of Organizational Development and Engagement at ENT Credit Union is a member of the Zonta Club of Pikes Peak (zontapikespeak.org) and one of the six committee members organizing the event this year. She says the group, of which she has been a member for seven years, has a long history of doing events such as this one. In 2011 the Zonta Club, a group that aims to advance the status of women, hosted the first even locally.

Kathy Olson, AAUW Colorado Springs Branch representative on the IWD Committee, said some of the usual festivities, such as the brunch and the educational booths that each of the partners typically set up are just not feasible this year due to pandemic restrictions.

“We have a limited committee this year,” Olson said. Other committee members include Lynette Jones, Karen Malabre, Beth Norton, Rosenna Bakari and event founder Sonya Bergeron.

The 2020 event was limited by the size of its venue, but this year, as a virtual event, the attendance can be practically unlimited.

“We want it to grow this year, and because of what is happening at the at the national level,” said Olson.

Cindi Zenkert Strange, IWD Committee Chair, said she is excited to host this year’s speakers:

Michelle Duster is a writer, speaker and adjunct professor of economics at Columbia College in Chicago. She has championed racial and gender equality issues through her 16 books, magazine and news articles. She writes often of her great-grandmother Ida B. Wells who received the Pulitzer Prize Special Citation posthumously for her work in promoting the rights of black women in America. Duster, “can speak to both what’s happened in the past and her baby boom generation now, so we thought she made an excellent person to include in this generations programs,”

Isabel Harris is a senior at Simpson University in Redding, CA. According to the IWD, “Isabel is passionate about empowering and equipping individuals and communities, especially women, toward sustainable life improvement.” Zonta had identified her for an award they give to a young person.

Danielle Shoots, a Colorado native, mother and community advocate, is vice president/CFO of the Colorado Trust, a foundation dedicated to achieving health equity. She is a “sharp business woman and we specifically wanted to hear from a millennial.” Shoots was sought to be a speaker because of her TEDxMileHigh Talk, “Millennials Were Born to Lead – Here’s Why.”

Killeen-Scott works with this year’s emcee Annie Snead, a storyteller for Ent Credit Union’s Internal Communications Department. She is “really creative on the communication front,” Killeen-Scott said.

Last year Dr. Rosenna Bakari emceed the event and shared a poem that brought down the house. She has been asked this year to present another of her poems.

Zenkert-Strange say the day represents a celebration and remembrance of all we have accomplished. Though the work isn’t done even small steps are important.

The Zoom “doors” will open at 9:30 a.m. March 6 to allow networking, for those who wish to partake, prior to the start of the event. “We personally enjoy, love the opportunity to meet and see old friends,” during this informal time says the committee. And there will be plenty of time between speakers for questions and answers from the Zoom audience.

In previous years, fellowship amongst all the women in attendance was usually the highlight for many. The organizers hope online fellowship via Zoom will be a key part of the experience for attendees.

The call to action for the 2021 International Women’s Day, according to the United Nations, is: “Together, we want to mobilize to end gender-based violence; we are calling for economic justice and rights for all; bodily autonomy, sexual and reproductive health and rights; and feminist action for climate justice. We want technology and innovation for gender equality; and feminist leadership.”

Pre-register at iwd-coloradosprings.org.