The event, called International Women's Day, officially began in 1911 when more than a million citizens in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland rallied to demand their governments give women the right to vote, hold public office, be allowed vocational training and work without discrimination.

The event is now commemorated every March 8 by the United Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday.

Speeches, rallies, demonstrations, conferences and marches will be held in nearly every country, and in the United States in every major city - including Missoula.

On the Missoula County Courthouse's front lawn, a one-hour rally will be held at noon Thursday.

"This is a time for women to come together in solidarity and to protest inequalities," said Maxine Jacobson, associate professor of social work at the University of Montana and rally organizer. "And a time to get people to be more aware of issues women face internationally."

Last year, the day sparked women in Kuwait to storm their community courtrooms and demand the right to vote; in London, prostitutes rallied to demand safer working conditions, Jacobson said.

But not all events are aimed at social change, Jacobson said. Russia, for instance, celebrates the day by honoring women with flowers and gifts.

Five speakers highlight Missoula's rally. Jackie Heldt, who represents hotel and restaurant union workers, will talk about women's issues in the workplace; Bettina Escubero will talk about struggles women face in her native Mexico; UM student Aki Izumi of Japan will talk about domestic violence in her country; WanMan Chan, of Hong Kong will talk about sexual harassment in her country; and Missoula's Judy Smith will report on how women's issues are faring in the Legislature.

"We do this to celebrate the achievements we have made as women, but also to take a critical look at what still needs to be done," Jacobson said. "In this country, we still have inequality in the workplace - women make about 70 cents on the dollar for the same job men do - we have increasing numbers of women who are single parents, and we have an increasingly narrow pathway for women to climb out of poverty."

In conjunction with International Women's Day, Women Opportunity Research and Development (WORD), is hosting a Saturday party and fund-raiser called "The Many Faces of Women."

Festivities include international dance, live music, storytelling, and, of course, food, said Terry Kendrick, event organizer.

In keeping with the party theme, 12 local artists have created masks that will be sold in a live auction. Nancy Erickson, Bev Glueckert, Shari Montana and Sally Sanders-Garrett are some of the artists whose colorful, whimsical and provocative creations will be up for bid.

In a silent auction, 40 masks made by area school children and adults will also be for sale.

The theme, Kendrick said, was a way to honor women everywhere.

"Like the masks, women are different and unique from one another," Kendrick said. "And this was an easy, welcoming way for people to get involved. It's an art form that is accessible and shows the variety of human experience. This gives us an opportunity to showcase the talent we have in our community and celebrate the lives of women around the world."

The celebration is 7 p.m. Saturday at Orchard Homes. Tickets are $15 in advance and $17 at the door. For more information, call 543-3550.

Proceeds from the event support WORD, a Missoula nonprofit agency that works with low-income women and families to advance the principles of social justice, literacy and individual empowerment.

On Friday, the UM Law School will host a two-day national conference on making domestic violence issues part of law school curriculum.

Lectures and discussions presented will cover topics ranging from "Domestic Violence: What You Don't Learn in Law School," to "Domestic Violence and the Tribal Community."

Bette Garlow, a UM law school graduate and director of the American Bar Association's Commission on Domestic Violence, is responsible for bringing the conference to Missoula, said Bari Burke, a UM law professor.

"What makes this a spectacular opportunity is knowing that we are getting speakers who are some of the most knowledgeable people in the country on these issues," Burke said. "These are people who have worked on domestic violence issues a long time. What they bring is diversity - a wide range of how domestic violence affects communities to how it happens internationally."

Keynote speakers at the event include lawyer/activist Judith Armatta; Patricia Tjaden, senior researcher at the Center for Policy Research; Sarah Buel, special adviser to the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence; and Brooklyn Law School professor Elizabeth Schneider, who has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for her book, "Battered Women and Feminist Lawmaking."

The core of the conference will be a group of 55 people -five panelists from 11 different U.S. law schools.

The event begins at 8:30 a.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday, in the basement of the UM School of Law. It is free and open to the public, Burke said.

Upcoming events

Thursday, 3 p.m., in the Mansfield Center: Kristin Hoganson, assistant professor of history at the University of Illinois, will give a talk: "The Problem of Male Degeneracy & the Allure of the Philippines."

Thursday, 7 p.m., in Room 330 of the University Center: Hoganson will give the 8th annual Maxine Van de Wetering Lecture entitled: "Cosmopolitan Domesticity: International Interiors in a Globalizing Age (1865-1920)."

Wednesday, March 14, noon, in Room 138 of UM's Liberal Arts building: Susanna Felder will give a talk: "The Women's Movement is Alive and Well: Good News from the Grass Roots."

Wednesday, March 27, 7 p.m., in the University Theatre: The movie "Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter" will be shown.

Thursday, March 29, 7 p.m., in the University Theatre: The movie "La Nouvelle Eve" ("The New Eve"), will be shown.

All events are free to the public.

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