What International Women’s Day is

Grew out of labour movements in North America and Europe in the early twentieth century and has been marked on 8 March since 1917, when it coincided with the strike that began the February Revolution.

The United Nations has observed it since 1975; in some countries it is a public holiday and in others a day of protest.

Why this date does not move

The countdown at the top of this page is live, and the date beneath it is the next occurrence. This is a fixed date: it falls on the same day of the month every year, so only the weekday changes.

The date follows a fixed calendar rule, so it can be computed years ahead. Where a country observes this as a public holiday, the official government calendar remains the authority for whether the day off is moved when it falls on a weekend.

What is coming up next

Once this date passes, the countdown moves on according to the recurrence rule described above. Calculated lunar dates remain estimates until the relevant calendar or local authority confirms them. See the full list of upcoming events, or use the countdown timer for a duration of your own.