International Women's Day - March 8, the global day celebrating women's achievements and calling for gender equality

International Women's Day on March 8 is a global day celebrating women's social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. Observed since the early 1900s, a public holiday in several countries, and an occasion for activism on gender equality in many more.

The one-line summary

International Women's Day on March 8, a global day celebrating women's achievements and calling for gender equality. Public holiday in former-Soviet and parts of Asia; awareness day in many others.

Origins (1909-1917)

International Women's Day traces its origins to the early 20th-century labour and socialist movements. The first National Woman's Day was observed in the United States on February 28, 1909, organized by the Socialist Party of America at the suggestion of Theresa Malkiel. In 1910, Clara Zetkin proposed the establishment of an International Woman's Day at the Second International's conference in Copenhagen; the proposal was unanimously approved. The first International Women's Day was observed on March 19, 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. The date was moved to March 8 in 1917, when Russian women began a strike for "Bread and Peace" on that date — a strike that became one of the catalysts for the Russian Revolution.

The 1917 Russian strike

The 1917 date change followed a defining moment. On March 8 (February 23 in the Julian calendar then in use in Russia), women textile workers in Petrograd began a strike for "Bread and Peace" — protesting wartime food shortages and the war's continuation. The strike spread over the following days to factories across the city; soldiers refused to fire on the protesters; the Tsar abdicated on March 15. The February Revolution (named for the Julian date) was the first successful revolution of 1917 and led to the formation of the Provisional Government. The International Women's Day date was preserved after the Russian Revolution.

UN recognition

The United Nations recognised March 8 as International Women's Day in 1975, during International Women's Year. Each year the UN Secretary-General announces a theme; recent themes include "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality" (2023), "Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow" (2022), and "Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world" (2021). The UN's annual theme shapes programming at UN country offices worldwide.

How it is observed

Rallies, marches, and demonstrations for gender equality (notably the annual Women's Strike in several countries); corporate and government recognition of women's achievements; school and university events; the "Each for Equal" UN campaign and other annual themes; workplace events; giving flowers, chocolates, or small gifts to women colleagues, friends, and family (a tradition more common in post-Soviet countries and parts of Asia); the annual "Women of the Year" awards by various publications.

Legal status

March 8 is a public holiday in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Mongolia. In many other countries it is observed as a day of awareness and activism without a public holiday; many employers give women the day off as a courtesy. The UN observes March 8 as the focal point of its women's rights programming each year.

Why 1975 was a pivot year

The 1975 UN designation was the formal pivot that consolidated International Women's Day as a global observance rather than primarily a socialist or labour movement holiday. The 1975 Mexico City conference on women was the first UN-sponsored world conference on women and launched the UN Decade for Women (1976-1985). The subsequent world conferences in Copenhagen (1980), Nairobi (1985), and Beijing (1995) codified the global women's rights framework.

Where it is contested

International Women's Day as a global day of recognition is largely uncontroversial. Specific observances, however, have generated debate: corporate "International Women's Day marketing" is criticized as performative; some political movements have argued that the holiday should be replaced or expanded to recognize other gender identities; and in some countries (notably Russia and parts of Eastern Europe), the March 8 holiday has been criticized for focusing on traditional femininity rather than feminist politics.

In other countries

International Women's Day is observed globally. In the United States the day was proclaimed a national day by President Obama in 2014 and is observed by corporate and civic events but is not a federal holiday. In the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy the day is observed with workplace events and municipal recognition but is not a public holiday. Australia has observed the day since the 1920s.

International Women's Day by the numbers

Sources

• United Nations, International Women's Day: un.org
• Wikipedia, "International Women's Day": en.wikipedia.org

History of International Women's Day

International Women's Day (IWD) has roots in the early 20th-century women's labour movement. The first National Woman's Day was observed in the United States on February 28, 1909, organised by the Socialist Party of America in remembrance of the 1908 garment workers' strike in New York.

IWD has been observed on March 8 since 1917, when women textile workers in Petrograd, Russia, began a strike that contributed to the February Revolution. The date was adopted internationally in 1921 by the Second International Conference of Working Women. The UN has observed IWD since 1975.

IWD themes

Each year, the UN selects a theme for International Women's Day. Recent themes have included "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality" (2023), "Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress" (2024), and "For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment" (2025). The day's promotion includes awareness campaigns, government statements, and corporate diversity pledges.

International Women's Day is a public holiday in several countries including Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Cuba, Laos, Mongolia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal, and Madagascar. In many other countries, it is observed as a working day.