International Women's Day is being observed on Wednesday across the country as elsewhere in the world with the theme 'Digit ALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality'.

Different women, social and political organisations have taken separate programmes to observe the International Women's Day, reports BSS.

On the eve of the day, President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday issued separate messages, greeting all women across the world.

Marking the day, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs will organise a procession at 2:30 pm.

The procession will start from the central Shaheed Minar and end on the Bangladesh Shishu Academy premises.

According to the ministry, the seminar scheduled for this year will be held later as today is a public holiday on the occasion of the holy Shab-e-Barat.

Processions, rallies and cultural programs will be held under the arrangement of the Jatiya Morcha Samajik Protirodh Committee at Central Shaheed Minar around 2.30 pm on March 9.

Health and Hope Hospital will arrange a discussion on 'Breast and Cervical Cancer' around 11:30 am in the city's Panthapath area.

The National Press Club (NPC) will hold a special discussion at Jahur Hossain Chowdhury Hall on JPC premises at 3 pm on March 9.

The Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) has taken various programs throughout the day.

The programmes include holding a procession, unveiling of the annual Women's Day compilation or souvenir 'Konthoshor' and organizing a discussion.

The Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh, Bangladesh Nari Sangbadik Kendro and Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum will arrange a procession along with a discussion on the occasion of International Women's Day.

The discussion titled 'Projukti O Udvabonitey Somvabonar Bangladesh Gori, Nari-Purusher Somota, Samprity O Souhardo Bojay Rakhi' will be held on JPC premises at 10 am on March 9.

Besides, the well-known theatre troupe 'Swapnadal' will stage a play named 'Helen Keller' at 7pm at Studio Theater Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy today.

Swapnadal will also honour actor and theatre activist Jayita Mahalanobish with 'International Women's Day Sanmanana 2023' for her contributions to theatre.

International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 every year.

After the Socialist Party of America organised a Women's Day on February 28, 1909 in New York, the 1910 International Socialist Women's Conference suggested a Women's Day to be held annually.

After women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917, March 8 became a national holiday there.

The day was then predominantly celebrated by the socialist movement and communist countries until it was adopted in 1975 by the United Nations.