International Women's Day is celebrated each year on March 8th. Groups around the world use this day to honor the progress of women. They also use the day to call attention to the social, political and economic problems facing women and girls. Among the issues are forced marriage, sexual abuse, poverty and a lack of education.

National Women's Day was first celebrated in the United States on February 28th, 1909. The next year, a women's rights leader from Germany suggested the idea of an international celebration.

More than 1,000,000 people attended events in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland during the first International Women's Day. It took place in 1911.

In 1914, the date for the observance was changed to March 8th in honor of a historic protest for women's rights. 15,000 women marched in New York City on March 8th 1908. They marched to demand better pay, shorter work hours, and the right to vote.

International Women's Day is a public holiday in several countries, they include China, Russia, Bulgaria and Vietnam.