Why Is March 8 International Women’s Day 2025 | Theme, History, Significance And More

International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated globally every year to reinforce the aims of awakening and educating society on the remarkable women’s rights movement while highlighting the multi-dimensional achievements of women and girls across the globe.

Every year, it is celebrated on March 8. This day also promotes the need for action to eradicate gender-based disparity on many fronts across different walks of life. The day also highlights the ongoing efforts for continued advocacy for the same.

Why March 8 Is Celebrated As IWD: History

The celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) dates back to the early 1900s when the industrialized world witnessed both growth and turbulence which forced women to raise their voices over fundamental rights.

Historically, for the first time, National Women’s Day was established by the Socialist Party of America in the United States on February 28, 1909 which was later followed by European nations like Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland in 1911. Since then, for years, the last Sunday of February was celebrated as Women's Day.

The history behind March 8 being chosen as the date for celebration involves Russia's campaigning for peace during World War I. On February 23, 1917, which was also the last Sunday of February, Russian women initiated a four-day-long strike for "Bread and Peace" following the death of over 2 million Russian soldiers in World War 1.

The date of the strike was based on the Julian calendar which was then in use in Russia and its corresponding date on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere was March 8. In 1975, the United Nations formally declared this day as International Women's Day.

According to internationalwomensday.com, 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 line with their own historical and national traditions.

Accelerate Action: 2025 Theme

This year the theme for the International Women's Day (IWD) campaign is ‘Accelerate Action’ which focuses on the significance of swift and decisive actions to achieve gender equality.

Based on this theme, the campaign this year is calling for increased momentum and immediacy shattering the glass ceilings and biases that women encounter in personal and professional domains.

The theme has been adopted at a time when the data from the World Economic Forum shows that at the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158 to reach full gender parity.

International Women’s Day 2025: Significance

After all these years, International Women’s Day has attained the stature of a global platform that recognizes and celebrates women's success and advocates the importance of collective action to normalize equality.

From gender equality and the right to education to reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women- the day supports raising awareness about a wide array of topics.

The day also underscores several societal challenges such as economic inequality, significant under-representation, and lack of exposure and opportunities.

IWD simultaneously reminds us of the progress made over all these years while setting the roadmap for the long path ahead.