International Women’s Day is on Monday, March 8, 2027, and it falls on March 8 every year. It honors women’s achievements and calls attention to equal rights for women and girls. The United Nations has marked the day since 1975, and it’s a national holiday in many countries.
When Is International Women’s Day?
It’s always March 8. It isn’t a federal holiday in the U.S., so schools and offices stay open. It falls in the middle of Women’s History Month, which runs through all of March.
Why March 8?
The date settled on March 8 in 1913. It became lasting after 1917, when Russian women began a “bread and peace” strike on that date, which was February 23 on Russia’s old calendar.
The strike helped lead to the czar’s abdication. The new provisional government then gave women the right to vote. The UN says the date remains tied to that moment.
How Did International Women’s Day Start?
Its roots are American. In 1908, about 15,000 women marched through New York City for shorter hours, better pay and the right to vote. The next year, the Socialist Party of America held the first National Woman’s Day on February 28, 1909.
In 1910, German activist Clara Zetkin proposed a yearly women’s day at a meeting in Copenhagen. More than 100 women from 17 countries approved it.
The first International Women’s Day followed on March 19, 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. More than a million people took part. Days later, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York killed more than 140 working women.
United Nations recognition
The UN named 1975 International Women’s Year and began marking the day then. It officially recognized International Women’s Day in 1977.
Why Is the Day Celebrated?
To honor women’s achievements in work, politics, science and culture, and to push for equal rights where gaps remain. The UN picks a theme each year to focus attention.
In the U.S., the day ties into Women’s History Month. That month grew from a single week. President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the first National Women’s History Week in March 1980.
Congress expanded it to a month in 1987. Presidents have issued yearly proclamations since 1995, the Congressional Research Service notes.
How to Celebrate International Women’s Day
- Support a women-owned business: buy your coffee, books or lunch from one on March 8.
- Learn a local story: look up the first woman elected in your city or state and share what she did.
- Host a lunch-and-learn: invite a woman leader in your field to talk with your team.
- Read women authors: pick a novel or memoir by a woman writer for your book club.
- Mentor someone: offer an hour to a student or early-career woman in your industry.
- Donate: give to a shelter, scholarship fund or girls’ sports program near you.
- Learn the labor history: read about the 1908 New York march and the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.
- Watch a documentary: pick a film about a woman scientist, athlete or leader and discuss it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Clara Zetkin?
A German activist and teacher who proposed an annual women’s day at the 1910 Copenhagen conference. That idea became International Women’s Day the following year.
Is International Women’s Day a holiday anywhere?
Yes. It’s a national holiday in many countries, though not in the U.S.
What is the theme this year?
The UN sets an official theme each year. Check UN Women’s website for the current one.