march 8th marks international woman's day  (dia internacional da mulher),   day during which women in brazil unite for economic, political, and overall equality - this date is a tribute to the 129 women who died in 1908 in a new york city fire while protesting sub-standard working conditions. officially celebrated for the first time in 1911, the date of the 8th of march was selected in 1975, during the 'international women's year' by the united nations, and since the new millennium a theme for every year has been selected.

one of the latest themes was 'equality for women is progress for all' - with the reform of the brazilian constitution in the early 1930s, women in brazil have the same worker rights, the vote, and the ability to hold political positions - as a matter of fact, the president of brazil is currently the extremely popular Dilma  rousseff - somber daytime events and serious manifestations are balanced at night by more festive events.