Celebrating International Women's Day: 8 Inspirational Facts About Women
Posted on March 08 2021
8 Interesting Facts About Women That You Probably Didn't Know
Women's Day has been celebrated for more than 100 years across the world. Every year on March 8th, we recognize the accomplishments of women and promote gender equality. This year we're celebrating by bringing you interesting facts about the traditions and history behind the day, along with facts about women that you probably didn't know. Enjoy!
1. International Women’s Day Was Officially Adopted by The UN in 1975
The United Nations celebrated International Women's Day for the first time in 1975. The UN is the primary sponsor of the yearly event and has aided more countries to embrace the holiday. They state the holiday is a "time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women, who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities." You can read more about the celebration here.
2. March is Women’s History Month
Women's History Month has been observed in March by the United States since 1987. According to History.com, Women’s History Month is a dedicated month to reflect on the often-overlooked contributions of women to United States history. Read more about Women's History Month here.
3. The UN Announces a Specific Theme Each Year
In 1996, the UN created it's first official theme for International Women's Day: Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future. The theme for 2021 is "Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.”
4. Women See More Colors
Research has found that women are able to see 25% more colors and shapes. According to Psychology Today, one potential explanation goes all the way back to the hunter-gatherer responsibilities of early nomadic tribes. As hunters, men needed to be able to distinguish between predators and prey from afar. On the other hand, women might have developed better close range vision from the act of foraging and gathering.
5. Women Have a Better Sense of Smell
According to Medical News Today, women have a better sense of smell in comparison to men. Research has found that women’s brains have up to 50% more olfactory neurons. In other words, women's finer sense of smell may be due to having more brain cells.
6. Heels Were Not Originally Made For Women
Heels were first worn by men in the 1600s by Persian soldiers. Wearing high-heeled shoes while hunting helped keep their feet in the stirrups and helped with stability when shooting bows and arrows.
7. The First Computer Programmer Was A Woman
The first computer program was built by a women named Ada Lovelace who lived in England in the 19th century. She wasn't recognized for her work until the 1950s, when her notes were republished. Since then, she has been coined the first computer programmer as she established the foundation for today's computer software.
8. The Two Highest IQ Scores Recorded in History Belong to Women
The two highest IQs ever recorded both belong to women. According to Loyola University, these numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, as IQ tests aren't perfect in measuring intelligence. However, it does help show that women aren't inferior to men in intelligence – as was claimed for centuries!
Sources
https://www.un.org/en/observances/womens-day
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/womens-history-month
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