Events highlighting gender inequality are happening around the world today with marches, protests and gatherings planned in most major cities to celebrate International Women’s Day.
The March4Women kicked off in London at around midday. The event combines feminist and climate movements, and the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is expected to attend.
Up to 500 women took part in a sunrise swim at Portobello beach in Edinburgh for International Women’s Day, braving the cold waters to celebrate.
In Australia supporters wore purple to mark International Women’s Day during the Women’s T20 World Cup final match between Australia and India at the MCG in Melbourne.
Members of the women’s movement FEMEN have staged a protest on the Place de la Concorde in Paris, calling for an end to patriarchy.
Demonstrators from Extinction Rebellion have been protesting in London today, arguing that the ‘climate is a women’s issue’. Thirty one women formed a topless chain on Waterloo Bridge in London, with the words ‘Climate Rape’ written on their bodies.
Events highlighting gender equality are happening around the world today with marches, protests and gatherings planned in most major cities. Pictured is a protest by Filipino women in Manila
Filipino women hold a protest rally during the celebration of International Women’s Day in Manila. Events have been taking place across the world
Women take part in a march to mark International Women’s Day in Lima, Peru. Huge crowds in matching t-shirts made their way through the city
Events highlighting gender equality are happening around the world today with marches, protests and gatherings planned in most major cities. Pictured are women in Lima, Peru
Demonstrators from climate activist group Extinction Rebellion have been protesting in London for IWD, arguing that the ‘climate is a women’s issue’
Thirty one women formed a topless chain blocking Waterloo Bridge in London, with the words ‘Climate Rape’, ‘Climate Murder’, ‘Climate Abuse’, ‘Climate Inequality’ and ‘Climate Justice’ written on their bodies
Kyrgyz policemen detain an activist of the Femen women’s rights movement at Victory Square during celebration of the International Women’s Day in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Filipino women exchange flowers during a protest on International Women’s Day in Manila, Philippines. South America has seen a large amount of events to mark the day
Up to 500 women take part in a sunrise swim at Portobello beach in Edinburgh for International Women’s Day. Events are taking place across the country to recognize the celebration
Early risers take part in a sunrise swim at Seaburn beach in Sunderland this morning in support of International Women’s Day. It was organised by members of Roker’s Fausto Bathing Club
However police in Kyrgyzstan on Sunday detained dozens of protesters – most of them women – at a rally to mark International Women’s Day after masked men attacked them and tore up their placards.
The detentions came after the men wearing face masks and pointed national hats attacked the crowd, tearing up their posters, popping balloons with toy pistols and throwing eggs at the women before fleeing the scene.
Erlan Atantayev, deputy head of the Sverdlovsky police department where the women were taken, said the protesters had been detained for their own safety and because police had not been warned about the rally.
The Australian government has also announced a number of new policies to support women in an IWD announcement.
At the march in London musicians and actors including Emeli Sandé, who will perform, and the Kaiser Chief’s Ricky Wilson will be in attendance, as will activists including Sandi Toksvig, Bianca Jagger and Helen Pankhurst.
The march aims to put the spotlight on the women battling climate crisis and call for action from world leaders.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan told The Guardian: ‘I’m proud to be marching alongside women and allies this International Women’s Day. The gender inequality we still see in our city, country and globally is unacceptable.
Women pose after taking part in a sunrise swim at a beach in Edinburgh to mark International Women’s Day
In Australia supporters wore purple to mark International Women’s Day during the Women’s T20 World Cup final match between Australia and India at the MCG in Melbourne
Members of the women’s movement FEMEN have staged a protest on the Place de la Concorde in Paris, calling for an end to patriarchy
Veiled female supporters of Pakistani Islamic political party Jamaat-e-Islami carry placards and banners as they march during a rally to mark the International Women’s Day in Islamabad
Women take part in a march to mark International Women’s Day in Lima, Peru. The women held placards as they chanted whilst walking down the street
‘As Mayor, and as a proud feminist, I’m determined that no woman or girl should be disadvantaged just because of their gender and want London to lead the way in changing that.’
The march will begin at the Royal Festival Hall as part of the Women of the World festival and will march over the river Thames before heading to Whitehall place then Parliament Square for music and a final rally.
More than a million women in Chile are set to take to the streets today, as IWD demonstrations build on a wave of social unrest that took off in October last year.
A march in Mexico’s capital is expected to bring record numbers of women on to the streets after recent outcry over the number of femicides in the country.
In addition The Prime Ministers of Iceland, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Sweden have released a joint statement setting out their commitments to gender equality.
Women protesters march the streets calling for an end to imperialism and to the Duterte regime to mark International Women’s Day on March 8, 2020 in Manila, Philippines
Women perform a flash mob to occupy a street on International Women’s Day in Manila, Philippines. They took to the street to mark the day
Women perform a Chilean protest song about rape culture, ‘A rapist in your path’, during a protest march marking International Women’s Day, in Lima, Peru
Women chant as part of a ‘human chain’ of around 200 women calling for an end to gender violence, on the eve of International Women’s Day in central Mexico City
These two women didn’t appear to be bothered by the cold during their early morning swim in Edinburgh to mark International Women’s Day
Spectators look on as French-Chilean singer Ana Tijoux performs during a concert by female artists on the eve of International Women’s Day in Mexico City
People celebrate IWD in Sunderland. The swim was organised by members of Roker’s Fausto Bathing Club, with sponsorship and donations collected for Wearside Women in Need
Three women brace themselves in the cold during a swim at Portobello beach in Edinburgh today
Women take part in a flashmob celebrating the International Womens Day late on March 7, 2020 in Lausanne, western Switzerland
A view of a march for International Working Women’s Day held in Valladolid, Spain today. Women’s rights have been under and increasing spotlight in Spain for the past few years