International Women's Day: 8 March 2004

In 1977, namely two years after the International Women's Year, the United Nations adopted a resolution inviting countries to dedicate a day to celebrate Women's Rights and the International Peace. In this sense, 8 March became the International Women's Day all over the world.

Each year, many women and men celebrate everywhere in the world the International Women's Day. This Day is the ideal occasion to review the progress of activities in favor of Women's equality, to evaluate challenges that women have to overcome in today's society, to assess the measures taken to improve the female condition and to celebrate their triumphs. Women of all continents in spite of ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and politic differences, unite to celebrate the International Women's Day, a Celebration of ordinary women that have shaped and continue shaping the history. Gatherings, marches, fairs, seminars, shows, movie projections and debates are organized a little bit everywhere in the world to commemorate women's struggle for equality.

The UN celebrates this day focusing on the link between women and HIV/AIDS. Women now make up more than half of all people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide - a figure which rises to two-thirds among women aged 15 to 24 worldwide. UN System agencies such as UNIFEM, UNAIDS, ILO, FAO, WHO, UNDP and UNESCO organized debates and presentations to address this and other important issues affecting women around the world. (click here to view the activities organized by each agency).

As celebration of this day marks the beginning of worldwide preparations to commemorate, in 2005, the 10th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference of Women in Beijing, civil society organizations also commemorated this day. The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and World YWCA have joined forces to deliver a clear message through a joint statement, underlining that women and girls can be positive agents of change in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

In Canada special celebrations were celebrated during the first week of March. The International Women's Week (IWW) began on Saturday 7 March, 2004 under the theme "She's on a role!".

For more information on the activities organized at UN headquarters please click here.