17 stunning photos show just how huge International Women's Day really is.
There's no stopping these women from making their voices heard.
International Women's Day is always an occasion worth celebrating. This year, it's especially important.
Less than two months removed from the massive worldwide Women's March demonstration, women's rights advocates and allies remain fired up and ready to go in the fight for gender equity. Amnesty International called International Women's Day 2017 a "rallying cry," organizers rallied in the name of a "Day Without a Woman" strike, and protesters around the globe once again took to the streets for marches and demonstrations.
Some groups used the day as an opportunity to brush up on a few facts about women.
And others used the occasion to highlight women and causes that don't get the attention they deserve.
Like Katherine Johnson, an unsung hero who finally got her due in "Hidden Figures," and Meagan Taylor, who reminds us that existence shouldn't be a crime.
As shown in these 17 images, though, the most inspiring things to happen around the world in the name of International Women's Day were the marches, the gatherings, the rallies, and the demonstrations.
Which were held everywhere from Yogyakarta, Indonesia...
Photo by Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images.
...to Lviv, Ukraine.
Photo by Yuriy Dyachyshyn/AFP/Getty Images.
Women marched in Hong Kong...
Photo by Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images.
...and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Photo by Erika Santelices/AFP/Getty Images.
People took to streets across the world, everywhere from Rome, Italy...
Photo by Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images.
...to right here in Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.
The pink pussy hats made a comeback in Copenhagen, Denmark...
Photo by Nikolai Linares/AFP/Getty Images.
...while crowds of marchers turned out in Los Angeles, California.
Photo by Robyn BeckAFP/Getty Images.
Flags and signs flew high over the crowds in Istanbul, Turkey...
Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images.
...and were held proudly by marchers in Athens, Greece.
Photo by Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images.
In New York, marchers, strikers, and protesters were ready to stand up for their rights.
Photo by Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images.
New York cat cafe Koneko even held a Pussies Knit Back event where volunteers could come in to knit the now-ubiquitous "pussy hats." The hats are available on their website (in both cat and human sizes), with proceeds going to Planned Parenthood.
Faces were painted in Madrid, Spain...
Photo by Gerard Julien/AFP/Getty Images.
...and in Chennai, India...
Photo by Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images.
....while women in San Salvador, El Salvador, delivered strongly worded messages.
Photo by Marvin Recinos/AFP/Getty Images.
Street artists helped spread the word in Marseille, France...
"IVG (Law on voluntary abortion) it's sacred" by French artist Mahn. Photo by Bertrand Langlois/AFP/Getty Images.
...and people in Melbourne, Australia, struck a pose.
Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images.
The circumstances, the struggles, and the lived experiences of the women in these photos may vary, but there's a very simple, very common thread: sisterhood.
International Women's Day is a great opportunity to reflect on those differences and to consider how we can join forces to help make the world a better place for all women regardless of their race, religion, country of origin, disability, sexuality, or any of the other factors that can sometimes divide us unnecessarily. It's a great day to set the foundation for future progress.
Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images.