UN Women is the UN agency responsible for coordinating the global commemoration of International Women’s Day.
UN Women is the United Nations organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. It coordinates campaign messaging, produces advocacy materials, supports events, and helps connect governments, civil society, and other UN bodies around the annual observance.
International Women’s Day itself predates the United Nations. It grew from labor and socialist movements in North America and Europe in the early twentieth century. The UN began observing the day in 1975 and formally recognized it in 1977, while UN Women was created in 2010 by merging several existing UN entities focused on women.
“Coordinating” does not mean UN Women owns every event. National governments, community groups, schools, employers, and activists organize countless local activities. UN Women leads the UN’s global advocacy effort, while the Secretary-General and other agencies may also issue messages or participate.