International Women's Day
In 2021, UNESCO joins its voice to that of the entire UN family by celebrating this International Women’s Day under the theme of “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”
Article by Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, and Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland.
Webinar: Women journalists and freedom of expression (Sp)
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Launch of the 2020 GEM Gender Report in French 18 March at 12pm GMT
Women in History: Online exhibition
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IWD celebration in the Caribbean
Launch of the 2nd edition of the National Olympics in Haiti. 8 March at 11am (UTC-5)
Conference on "Women in the era of the pandemic"
Advancing women in AI | White Paper (in French)
Webinaire : Culture, Education and Women's Rights
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL
"The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to exacerbate divisions in our world, particularly gender inequalities. It is therefore more important than ever that 8 March be a day of unity and action. UNESCO will continue to support women and girl's right and access to education, to promote women artists, journalists and researchers. It also insists on the active engagement of men and boys in order to achieve gender equality”."
— Audrey Azoulay, Director-General, on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2021
Download the complete message in PDF format
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History of International Women's Day
In 1945, the Charter of the United Nations became the first international agreement to affirm the principle of equality between women and men. The UN celebrated its first official International Women's Day on 8 March during International Women’s Year in 1975. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions.
International Women’s Day first emerged from the activities of labor movements at the turn of the twentieth century across North America and Europe. The first National Woman's Day was observed in the United States on February 28 1909, which the Socialist Party of America dedicated in honor of the 1908 garment workers' strike in New York where women protested against harsh working conditions. In 1917, women in Russia chose to protest and strike under the slogan "Bread and Peace" on the last Sunday in February (which fell on 8 March on the Gregorian calendar). Their movement ultimately led to the enactment of women’s suffrage in Russia.
International Women's Day is an occasion to celebrate the progress made towards achieving gender equality and women's empowerment but also to critically reflect on those accomplishments and strive for a greater momentum towards gender equality worldwide. It is a day to recognize the extraordinary acts of women and to stand together, as a united force, to advance gender equality around the world.
WHAT UNESCO DOES FOR GENDER EQUALITY
RESOURCES
- Resolution adopted by the General Assembly
- UN website about this day
- All Commemorations
- Previous commemorations: 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 - 2016 - 2015 - 2014
- UN WOMEN website