A recent social media post that gained significant traction alleged that tech giant Apple quietly removed International Women’s Day from its calendar. However, this claim is not entirely accurate.
The viral post originated from Bellesa, a brand that specializes in adult toys. On March 4th, they posted on Instagram that Apple had discreetly eliminated International Women’s Day from their calendar, which they found to be peculiar. The post further offered a guide on how individuals could reintegrate the day into their personal Apple Calendar.
International Women’s Day, a tradition dating back to 1911 according to the official IWD website, is now observed and managed by various organizations globally. It is a day set aside to applaud the accomplishments of women and support their rights. The day falls within Women’s History Month.
The post garnered over 41,000 likes, and its timing coincided with Google Calendar’s removal of Black History Month, Pride Month, and other notable dates about three weeks prior. Google’s justification for the removal was that they were focusing on public holidays and national observances. However, this decision was met with public backlash as it coincided with a wave of anti-diversity sentiment attributed to Donald Trump’s second presidential term.
Since resuming office in January, Trump has been linked to the removal of LGBTQ content on White House and other government websites, indicative of an overall campaign against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. Tech companies such as Meta and Google have followed suit, with DEI programs being removed. However, Apple’s shareholders recently voted to maintain their DEI policies.
Given the rising anti-DEI sentiment, it was easy for the public to believe that Apple had removed International Women’s Day from its calendar. However, Politifact reports that this was not the case. They clarify that Apple had never included International Women’s Day or Women’s History Month on its calendar in the first place.
We have reached out to both Apple and Bellesa for further comments and will update this article with any new information we receive.
