March 8th, is the globally recognized holiday of International Women’s Day and marks the 48th year since the United Nations established the holiday.

International Women’s Day can trace its roots back to the late 19th century when Elizabeth Candy Stanton and Lucretia Mott held their nation’s first women’s rights convention in New York. And the first National Women’s Day was held in the United States on Feb. 28th, 1909. The holiday was held in honor of the women garment workers who went on strike on Feb. 28th the previous year.

International Women’s Day purpose according to the U.N.’s statement on their website, “It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.”

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality. The theme is meant to bring attention to the fact that 37% of all women do not have access to Internet, which the U.N. believes limits their ability to pursue careers in S.T.E.M.

The theme also seeks to acknowledge how women make up almost 50% of jobs in S.T.E.M. but are still experiencing a pay gap compared to their male counterparts. And also how 38% of women have experienced have experienced violence online.

For anyone in the North County San Diego area looking to celebrate the holiday, an art and dance exchange is being held at the Vista Botanical Gardens on March 18th. The event starts at 8:30 a.m. and concludes at 8 p.m. There will be a market going on throughout the day for attendees to enjoy as well workshops throughout the day for adults and children.

For more information on International Women’s Day visit here.

For more information on the International Women’s Day Arts+DanceXchange visit here.