In New York City, countless women took to the streets of Manhattan. In Washington, DC schools and some businesses shut down as many women planned to protest in the "Day Without Women" day Wednesday.
Actress Anne Hathaway spoke at the UN, about the importance of paid parental leave for both new moms and new dads. Hathaway and her husband welcomed a baby boy in March of last year.
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"The deeper into parental leave I go, the clearer I see the connection between persisting barriers to women's full equality and empowerment. And the need to redefine and in some cases de-stigmatize women's roles as caregivers," said Hathaway.
Overseas the messages weren't always positive and about empowerment. A march in the Philippines turned out to be really more of a protest.
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Protesters were seen burning the American flag with the image of Donald Trump on it, saying "Women should be against U.S. imperialism".
President Trump took to twitter Wednesday morning to express his support of this International Women's Day. The President tweeted: "I have tremendous respect for women and the many roles they serve that are vital to the fabric of our society and our economy."
Demonstrations have also been reported in Kosovo, Georgia, and Belarus.
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