Five facts you need to know about International Women’s Day

Every year on 8 March, International Women’s Day is celebrated to commemorate and honour women's accomplishments, raise awareness about gender disparities and discrimination, as well as promote global support for women.

But what do you know about IWD? We’re here to answer five important questions…

On 28 February 1909, the then-active Socialist Party of America celebrated the first National Woman’s Day in commemoration of the 15,000 women who protested in New York against harsh working conditions and lesser wages. 

In 1910, Clara Zetkin, a women's rights advocate and the leader of Germany’s Women’s Office for the Social Democratic Party, proposed the idea of a global International Women’s Day. 

On 19 March 1911, the first International Women’s Day was held, with more than 1 million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland taking part. 

It took until 1975 for the United Nations to recognize and begin celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD). Since then, the UN has served as the major sponsor of the yearly event, encouraging more countries to recognize “acts of courage and resolve by ordinary women who have played an outstanding role in the history of their countries and communities.”

And for those wondering and feeling left out (get over it), there is an International Men's Day, which is celebrated on 19 November in more than 80 countries worldwide, including the UK. It has only been marked since the 1990s and isn't recognised by the UN.

The symbol for International Women’s Day is a female gender symbol. It is usually accompanied by the colours purple, green and white. 

According to the International Women's Day website, purple stands for dignity and justice, green for hope, and white for purity. "The colours