 If you have been getting these messages since the past few days, by now you will know that International Women's Day is around the corner. For over a century, March 8 has been celebrated as International Women's Day. This year marks the 110th year of celebration. So what exactly this day mean and how did it come into existence? As per the International Women's Day's official website, International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. But this definition is far from the image that we see today around us in this day and age of consumerism, which glosses over the struggle behind getting women basic rights such as right to vote and equal wages. The origin of the day lies in the labour movements that were taking place in the early 20th century in the US and Europe. During 1908, about 15,000 women in New York marched through the city to mark their presence against their appalling working conditions. These women mainly were part of an organized industry, used to get very low wages than their male counterparts and were placed in the lower ranks despite their hard work. Most women in these protests were part of the Government Workers Union. Their demands were simple. They were asking for shorter working hours, better pay and voting rights. It is interesting to notice that today what we know as a feminist movement has its origin in the labour movements in the past. The next year in 1909, the Socialist Party of America observed the first International Women's Day on February 28. This was changed to March 8 in 1913. Why? Let me tell you an interesting story of well-known feminist Clara Zetkin, famously known as the grandmother of German communism. She was the first one who tabled the idea that every country should celebrate this day on the same date to press their demands for equal rights for women. Zetkin tabled this idea at a conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, attended by 100 women from 17 countries including unions, socialist parties, working women's club and female legislators. Her suggestion was welcomed by everyone and the result was International Women's Day. The date of March 8 was formalized during the Russian Revolution when the demand for bread and peace was chanted by women. These demonstrations of women renounced the then Tsar of Russia and the Provisional Government granted women the rights to vote. The United Nations finally made this day official in 1975. So why did a day which became a wake-up call to accelerate gender parity and has such a radical origin turn into another advertisement tool for market forces? In today's scenario, International Women's Day has been stripped out of its history. A day that started with the movements for women's rights and equality has become a tool for luring women to stay caged in their own worlds. The contours of which have been drawn by a patriarchal mindset, as a result we have discounts on clothing lines or beauty products or cookware as ways to empower women, especially the educated urban ones. Instead, shouldn't we be talking about equal politics, social and economic rights for women who hold up half the sky?