About International Women’s Day
International Women's Day is a worldwide day for women's rights, held every year on 8 March, which in 2027 falls on Monday, 8 March 2027. It came out of socialist women's movements in Europe and the United States between 1909 and 1917, and the United Nations began marking it in 1975. In India it is not a public holiday. It shows up as school assemblies, office events, and the Nari Shakti Puraskar awards presented by the President.
International Women's Day is one of the few observances in the Indian office diary that began as a protest movement. Knowing where it came from changes what you write on it.
Why is International Women's Day on 8 March?
The date comes from a strike in Russia, not from a committee. On 8 March 1917, women textile workers in Petrograd walked out demanding bread and an end to the war, and that walkout became the opening days of the February Revolution. In the Julian calendar Russia then used, the date was 23 February, which is why some histories carry both.
The idea was older. The Socialist Party of America held a Woman's Day in New York on 28 February 1909. At an international socialist women's conference in Copenhagen in 1910, Clara Zetkin and other German delegates proposed an annual women's day without fixing a date. The first international observance came on 19 March 1911, when more than a million people took part across Austria-Hungary, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, with 300 demonstrations in Austria-Hungary alone. The date settled on 8 March after 1917.
The United Nations came late. It first marked the day in 1975, during International Women's Year, and in 1977 the General Assembly invited member states to proclaim a day for women's rights and international peace. The UN sets a theme each year and publishes it on its own Women's Day page, so check it there rather than trusting a forwarded graphic.
How is International Women's Day marked in India?
In India, 8 March is a working day with three layers of observance. The government layer is the Nari Shakti Puraskar, India's highest civilian honour for women, given by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and presented by the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 8 March. Past winners have come from farming, shipping, wildlife work, weaving, science and disability rights.
The second layer is schools and colleges: assemblies, debates, a talk by a woman doctor or police officer, sometimes a self-defence session. The third is corporate, and it is the one most people complain about. Flowers on the desk, a pink cupcake, a panel at 4 pm. If you are planning one of these, the useful test is whether anything about the workplace is different on 9 March.
What has changed for women in India, and what has not
The honest version of the day includes both columns. These are the facts most often quoted in Indian Women's Day speeches, with what they actually say.
| What | The detail | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Work | Women's labour force participation, age 15 and above, rose from 23.3 per cent in 2017-18 to 41.7 per cent in 2023-24 (PLFS) | Much of the rise is unpaid family work in agriculture, not salaried jobs |
| Maternity leave | The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 raised paid leave from 12 to 26 weeks | It applies to establishments covered by the Act, so most informal-sector workers are left outside |
| Harassment at work | The POSH Act, 2013 requires every workplace with ten or more employees to run an Internal Committee | Many committees exist on paper only, and domestic and gig workers are hard to cover |
| Political seats | The Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 reserves one-third of Lok Sabha and state assembly seats for women | It takes effect only after the next census and delimitation, so not before the 2029 general election |
If you are writing a speech or a post, pick one row and say something specific about it. That beats a paragraph about women being the backbone of everything.
What to write on International Women's Day
The safest rule is to write to a person, not to a category. Here are messages you can send as they are, or edit.
Happy Women's Day, Amma. You went back to work when everyone told you not to, and you never once made it our problem. I have been paying attention.
Happy Women's Day. You held the house, the job and my bad moods together this year. Tell me what you want to do on Sunday and I will handle the rest.
Happy Women's Day. You say no to things faster than anyone I know, and I have started copying you. Proud of the life you are building.
Happy Women's Day. The way you ran the client review last month is still the best meeting I have sat in this year. Glad you are on this team.
Happy Women's Day. I have put your name forward to lead the next project. Not a gesture for today, a decision.
Happy Women's Day. This year has asked a lot of you and you are still standing. I am one call away, any hour.
Happy Women's Day. Argue, ask, take up space. You will never hear me tell you to be quieter.
Happy Women's Day, ma'am. You told me to apply when I was sure I would not get it. I got it. Thank you for the push.
Women's Day ki shubhkamnayein. Your work keeps this house running and I do not say it often enough. Take today easy.
Do
- Name one thing she did. A specific sentence is worth ten about strength and sacrifice.
- At work, pair the message with something real: a raise, a recommendation, a seat at a meeting she is usually left out of.
- If you are posting as a company, say what you changed this year and what you have not managed yet.
Avoid
- Don't build the wish around her being a mother, wife or daughter unless that is the relationship you are writing about.
- Don't send flowers and a compliment about her smile to a colleague. Write about her work.
- Don't use the day to tell women they can do anything. Most of them know. The constraint is usually elsewhere.
- Don't assume the day feels festive for everyone. For women in unsafe homes or workplaces, a cheerful office post can read as a joke.
Related days worth knowing: National Girl Child Day on 24 January, International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February, International Day of Rural Women on 15 October, and International Men's Day on 19 November.
How to wish someone on International Women’s Day
A Women's Day message works when it is about one woman and something she actually did, not about women in general. For a mother, wife, sister or friend, name the thing you have watched her handle. For a colleague, keep it on her work rather than her looks or her role at home. For a company post, one real commitment reads better than a poster.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + recipient language.
When is International Women’s Day in 2026 and 2027?
International Women’s Day is on 8 Mar every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When is International Women’s Day in 2027?
International Women’s Day 2027 falls on Monday, 8 March 2027.
Why is International Women's Day celebrated on 8 March?
The date comes from 8 March 1917, when women textile workers in Petrograd struck for bread and peace and set off the February Revolution in Russia. Women's days had been held earlier on other dates, including 28 February 1909 in New York and 19 March 1911 across parts of Europe, and 8 March became fixed after 1917.
Is International Women's Day a public holiday in India?
No. 8 March is a normal working day in India. Offices, schools and government departments hold events, and the President presents the Nari Shakti Puraskar at Rashtrapati Bhavan, but banks, schools and offices stay open.
What is the Nari Shakti Puraskar?
The Nari Shakti Puraskar is India's highest civilian honour for women, given by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to individuals and institutions for outstanding work. It is presented by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan on International Women's Day, 8 March.
What should I write to a woman colleague on Women's Day?
Write one specific line about her work: a project she carried, a decision she got right, a skill you have picked up from her. Avoid comments on appearance, marital status or how she manages home and office, and avoid general lines about inner strength.
What is the difference between International Women's Day and Mother's Day?
International Women's Day on 8 March is about women's rights, work and safety, and it applies to all women whether or not they have children. Mother's Day, marked in India on the second Sunday of May, is a family occasion for mothers only and carries no political history.
Who started International Women's Day?
No single person started it. The Socialist Party of America held the first Woman's Day in New York in 1909, Clara Zetkin and other delegates proposed an annual international version at a conference in Copenhagen in 1910, and the 1917 Petrograd strike fixed 8 March as the date. The United Nations adopted the day in 1975.
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