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Clara Zetkin was an invincible woman’s advocate and a leader of socialist movements who contributed greatly to women’s rights. Zetkin was born on July 5, 1857 in Germany and grew up in a hard environment. However, she had two working parents, who sparked the fire of her passion for giving back to the community. Clara’s experiences made her see the plight of working-class citizens, even from a young age. Joining her husband’s fight only made her stronger, and the couple eventually moved to France due to social-political persecution. The struggles began there as she wrestled with the challenges of motherhood and domesticity as a young single mother — and tremendous political engagements. Immediately after her husband’s demise in 1889, she stood with two children in the midst of her active political engagements. Their family life may have been difficult but made her more powerful in the belief that fighting for women’s empowerment was a noble cause. She assured her kids that the struggle was not only for her, but for the good of women everywhere.

Zetkin’s family life and the subsequent events made her realize the essence of feminism and the need for economically empowering women. While still in her early twenties, Zetkin actively joined the socialist movement and met people who believed in the cause of the movement. But Zetkin was not solely an advocate of socialism: she mustered that many women workers endure economic hardships and social oppression. From the first instance, she represented the women within the socialist movement, defied the stereotype of what a woman was anticipated to be, and asked women to participate in politics. In 1910 during the 2nd International Conference of Women of the 2nd International in Copenhagen, she proposed a motion to set one day of the year aside in memory of the fight for the right to vote and be protected at their work. Her motion was carried, and the first International Women’s Day took place in March 1911. Another of Zetkin’s most convicting ideas was that women’s rights could not, and should not, be the experience of women alone: they needed to be in the center of the discourse seeking to build a fair society for all. Zetkin lived her life with tremendous challenges. She was frequently in the firing line, found herself firmly opposed by conservative forces as well as being resisted by those in the socialist movement who did not see women’s issues as priorities. However, it was the endurance and courage of Zetkin that termed her an unassailable figure head and her readiness to face tremendous opposition only served to embolden her countless people.