Bhubaneswar, Mar 8: Women can achieve anything at anytime. Each and every women has a strong impact on society. To celebrate these women, the world comes together on International Women's Day.

International Women's Day is annually celebrated on March 8 every year to recognise and honour women's accomplishments in every field.

This year, the International Women's Day theme is "Accelerate Action."

As the world celebrates International Women's Day, many are unaware of the significance of March 8th as International Women's Day.

Here are some reason behind commemorating Women's Day on March 8.

International Women's Day has its roots in Russian history. On February 23, 1913, Russian women protested against World War I under the Julian calendar (which corresponded to March 8 in the Gregorian calendar used elsewhere). This was a global benchmark for Women's Day rallies.

Another protest happened on February 23, 1917, When women in Russia demanded an end to war, food shortages, and the rule of Czar Nicholas II. Historian Rochelle Ruthchild said that male revolutionaries like Leon Trotsky were initially frustrated by these "disobedient women" for organizing protests before the planned May Day (Workers' Day) demonstrations. However, these protests helped spark the Russian Revolution.

Within days, the Czar was overthrown, a communist regime was established, and Russian women won the right to vote. In the United States, women of colour did not obtain the right to vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but white women were granted the right to vote in 1920.

To honour women's role in the 1917 Russian Revolution, Vladimir Lenin, who was a Russian Revolutionary, politician and political theorist, declared March 8 as International Women's day.

The first IWD celebration took place on March 19, 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Switzerland, and Germany. The United States celebrated its first National Women's Day on February 28, 1909.

Initially, IWD had no set date though it was generally celebrated in late February or early March.

Americans observed Women's day on the last Sunday in February while Russia observed it for the first time in 1913, on the last Saturday in February (albeit based on the Julian calendar, as in the Gregorian calendar, the date was March 8).

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