International Women’s Day is on 8 March. It celebrates women’s achievements and campaigns for equality.
The date is 8 March.
How to use the International Women’s Day Countdown#
- Choose what to count to. Stay on the next International Women’s Day, or look a year further ahead.
- The figures are worked out when the page loads and again when you change an option or return to the tab.
- Use the extras. International Women’s Day is on 8 March every year. Total hours, minutes and sleeps are listed underneath.
A century of 8 March#
The first International Women’s Day events were held on 19 March 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. The date settled on 8 March around 1913 to 1914. The United Nations began marking it in 1975, and it’s a public holiday in many countries. Every year has a theme, and the day sits within a longer movement for voting rights, fair pay and safety.
Marking the day#
Events range from marches and conferences to workplace talks and school projects. Many organisations plan awards or fundraising and promote the day for weeks, so it’s worth starting early. If you’re a student or teacher, a short history of the day or a profile of a woman from your own community can make a good project.
When is International Women’s Day in the next few years?#
International Women’s Day is on 8 March every year.
| Year | Date | Day of the week |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 8 March | Monday |
| 2028 | 8 March | Wednesday |
| 2029 | 8 March | Thursday |
| 2030 | 8 March | Friday |
| 2031 | 8 March | Saturday |
The themes and the history that follows#
Each year the UN picks a theme, and campaigns often pick a separate slogan. In many countries the day began as a call for the vote and fair working conditions. Women’s suffrage came at very different times, from New Zealand in 1893 to Saudi Arabia, which allowed women to vote in municipal elections in 2015. In Nigeria, women in the south gained the vote in 1950s elections and women in the north only in the 1970s.
Colours and symbols#
Purple, green and white are the colours linked with the day. They were used by the British suffragette movement in the early 1900s. Purple stands for justice and dignity, green for hope and white for purity, though the last is debated. Wearing purple is a simple, visible way to show support.
Planning a useful event#
The strongest events do something beyond talk: a mentoring programme, a scholarship drive, a pay review, a health screening or a local business fair for women-owned firms. Start about six weeks before Mon 8 March 2027.
| When | What to do | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 6 weeks out | Set the aim and book speakers | Mon 25 January 2027 |
| 3 weeks out | Open registration and publish the programme | Mon 15 February 2027 |
| 1 week out | Confirm every detail | Mon 1 March 2027 |
In 2027 the day falls on a Monday.
Facts and a few anniversaries#
- The Russian revolution of 1917 began with women’s strikes on International Women’s Day, which is part of why the date became a public holiday in the Soviet Union.
- The UN’s first theme-based observance was in 1996, with the theme “Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future”.
- Women make up roughly half of the world’s population but still earn less than men on average, and hold a minority of seats in parliaments.
- In Nigeria, women’s groups use the day to call for more women in elected office, as the share of seats held by women is below the African average.
International Women’s Day comes only 12 days before the International Day of Happiness, and the UK’s Mothering Sunday, covered in the Mother’s Day countdown, can fall in the same fortnight.
Ideas for a school or office#
Invite a woman from the local community to talk about her career, run a panel on the barriers women face in your industry, or hold a fundraiser for girls’ school fees. In a school, pupils can interview a woman they admire and present the story. Workplaces can review pay and promotion data by gender and publish what they find, which is a more lasting action than a poster. Choose something that you can follow up on after 8 March.
Frequently asked questions#
8 March.
It grew out of labour and suffrage movements in the early twentieth century. The first events were held in 1911.
In some countries, yes. In others it’s a day of events rather than a day off.
The first events in 1911 were held on 19 March, but the date moved to 8 March around 1913 to 1914, and it stuck. In 1917 women’s strikes in Russia began on that date in the old calendar, which helped fix it in the labour movement. The United Nations began observing the day in 1975, during International Women’s Year.
In some countries, such as Russia, Vietnam, Uganda and Angola, yes. In many more it is a working day with events, marches and talks. Nigeria does not give a day off, but organisations, schools and women’s groups run events. Check with your employer or school, and if you plan something, tell people a few weeks ahead.