In Pictures

Gallery|Human Rights

In Pictures: International Women’s Day around the world

The day celebrates women’s social, economical, cultural and political achievements and stresses gender equality.

Indonesian people march to mark the International Womeni´s Day in Jakarta on March 8, 2020. (Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP)
Indonesians march to mark International Women's Day in Jakarta. [Adek Berry/AFP]
Published On 8 Mar 2020

International Women’s Day – marked annually on March 8 – is a global event to celebrate and support women’s rights, while calling for more gender equality.

The first observance of Women’s Day on a national level took place in New York on February 28, 1909. It was marked on March 8 in several European countries in 1914 in support of women’s right to vote.

The first country to make the day an official holiday was the erstwhile Soviet Union in 1965.

But it became a truly global event when the United Nations in 1975 began marking March 8 as International Women’s Day, which is now an official holiday in 27 countries.

Over the last 100 years, women in many countries secured labour rights and protection from violence, access to sexual and reproductive health, and political rights to reach the highest positions of leadership.

However, the original goal of achieving full global gender equality is still a long way off.

Activists of Pakistan civil society observe International Women''s Day at a rally in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, March 8, 2020. Pakistanis held rallies across the country. Officially recognized by the
Pakistani activists observe International Women's Day at a rally in Islamabad. [BK Bangash/AP Photo]
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Iraqi women, including one wearing a protective mask due to the novel coronavirus epidemic, celebrate International Women''s Day at Tahrir Square in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, on March 8, 2020. (Photo
Iraqi women, including one wearing a protective mask due to the novel coronavirus epidemic, celebrate International Women's Day at Tahrir Square in Baghdad. [Sabah Arar/AFP]
epa08275798 Young girls hold placards during a march ahead of the International Women''s Day 2020, in Sydney, Australia, 07 March 2020. International Women''s Day, marked worldwide on 08 March every yea
Young girls hold placards during a march before International Women's Day in Sydney, Australia. [EPA]
Masked Kyrgyz nationalists attack women''s rights activists during the celebration of the International Women''s Day at Victory Square in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Sunday, March 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Vladimir V
Masked Kyrgyz nationalists attack women's rights activists during the celebration of International Women's Day at Victory Square in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. [Vladimir Voronin/AP Photo]
EDIRNE, TURKEY - MARCH 08: Women Asylum Seekers, waiting at Turkey''s Pazarkule border crossing to reach Europe, stage a demonstration at the buffer zone demanding to open the gate during ''Internationa
Female asylum seekers - waiting at Turkey's Pazarkule border crossing to reach Europe - stage a demonstration during International Women's Day at the buffer zone demanding that the gate be opened. [Elif Ozturk/Anadolu/Getty Images]
Women bang pots and pans shouting angry slogans during the cacerolada (a pot-banging protest) at the Sol square in Madrid on 8th March, 2020. International Women''s Day. (Photo by Juan Carlos Lucas/Nur
Spanish women bang pots and pans, shouting angry slogans during the 'cacerolada' (a pot-banging protest) at the Sol Square in Madrid. [Juan Carlos Lucas/NurPhoto/Getty Images]
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Filipino women exchange flowers during a protest on International Women''s Day in Manila, Philippines, March 8, 2020. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez
Filipino women exchange flowers during a protest on International Women's Day in Manila. [Eloisa Lopez/Reuters]
Women takes part to a flashmob celebrating the International Womeni´s Day in Lausanne, western Switzerland on March 7, 2020. (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)
Women take part in a flashmob to celebrate International Women's Day in Lausanne, western Switzerland. [Fabrice Coffrini/AFP]
Members of Thai labour rights groups and state enterprise unions march for labour rights in front of Democracy Monument on International Womeni´s Day in Bangkok on March 8, 2020. (Photo by Lillian SUW
Members of Thai labour rights groups and state-enterprise unions march in front of the Democracy Monument on International Women's Day in Bangkok. [Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP]
Women take part in a Women''s March to mark International Women''s Day in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 8, 2020. REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng
Participants in a march to mark International Women's Day in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. [Lim Huey Teng/Reuters]
Songwriter Vivir Quintana (L) and Chilean singer Mon Laferte perform with members of the female collective of Latin-American singers and authors ''El Palomar'', as they sing "Song Without Fear.", a song
Songwriter Vivir Quintana, left, and Chilean singer Mon Laferte perform with members of the female collective of Latin American singers and authors, 'El Palomar', as they sing Song Without Fear, a song protesting against femicide, at Zocalo square in Mexico City, Mexico. [Mahe Elipe/Reuters]
Women take part in a march to mark International Women''s Day in Lima, Peru March 7, 2020. REUTERS/Angela Ponce NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES
Women hold a march to mark International Women's Day in Lima, Peru. [Angela Ponce/Reuters]
Bangladeshi wheelchair basketball players including men and women play during a friendly match jointly organised by the Centre for Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) and the International Committee
Wheelchair basketball players, including men, play during a friendly match jointly organised by Bangladesh's Centre for Rehabilitation of the Paralysed and the International Committee of the Red Cross to mark International Women's Day in Saver. [Munir uz Zaman/AFP]