In pictures: Women's Day

Countries around the world are celebrating International Women's Day - the main theme being the plight of Afghan women.

Indian women from Rajasthan donned traditional dress for a celebration in Delhi

In Vietnam, where the holiday has become the equivalent of Valentine's day, flower vendors were kept busy

In the Congolese town of Kindu women left their homes and work places to sing and dance in the streets

In Romania the announcement of 20,000 new jobs for women sparked huge queues at job centres

At the UN headquarters in New York America's First Lady Laura Bush is to give a speech

In Pakistan elderly women took to the streets

In Kabul celebration were led by the interim leader Hamid Karzai

In Beijing last minute rehearsals were underway for a pageant to be held on Saturday

In the Philippines women protested about US troop presence

Human rights groups have been emphasising that most women remain in poverty