As the world gears up to celebrate International Women's Day (IWD) on Wednesday, here is a look at what the global event stands for, this year's theme and the issues that activists are focusing on. What is International Women's Day? IWD is an annual event to celebrate the achievements of women and push for rights progress. It has roots in the U.S. socialist and labour movements of the early 20th century, particularly as women were fighting for better working conditions and the right to vote. The first recorded celebration was in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland when over a million people rallied to support women's rights. Since then, the event has g...Keep on reading: International Women’s Day: date, history and this year’s theme