International Women’s Day: All you need to know about the day

New Delhi, Mar 8: International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8 every year globally. The event is celebrated to inspire women and celebrate their achievements.

It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.

The UN has set up theme for International Women's Day 2016 "Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality".

Here are the facts you need to know about the International Women's Day:

• According to UN, International Women's Day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe.

• The idea to dedicate a day to celebrate women's achievement was first established in the Socialist International, meeting in Copenhagen in 1910.

• As a result of the Copenhagen meeting, the first International Women's Day was celebrated on March19, 1911. (Blow of this Women's Day: Maria Sharapova provisionally suspended)

• The event was organised in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland where more than one million women and men attended rallies.

• It was 1975 when UN started celebrating International Women's Day on March 8.

• UN Secretary General Ban-Ki-moon's message on International Women's Day

• "On this International Women's Day, I remain outraged by the denial of rights to women and girls - but I take heart from the people everywhere who act on the secure knowledge that women's empowerment leads to society's advancement. Let us devote solid funding, courageous advocacy and unbending political will to achieving gender equality around the world. There is no greater investment in our common future."