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Marches to raise awareness of discrimination against women are taking place in cities around the world to mark International Women's Day.

The protests have been widespread and well-attended despite concerns about the coronavirus.

People around the world have been marking 8 March as a special day for women for more than a century.

It grew out of the labour movement to become a UN-recognised annual event.

Several protests took place across Spain. This one (above) in the capital, Madrid, was organised by a feminist group demanding equal working rights, women's right to abortion and an end to violence against women.

In the UK, many feminist groups held online campaigns instead of street marches, but this "March4Women" demonstration in London drew large crowds, including the English actress Natalie Dormer (seen here in the orange scarf).

At a march in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, women from numerous organisations and trade unions demanded the government revoke what they see as gender discriminative laws - such as the "omnibus law" - and create new laws to protect women.

In Germany, hundreds of women road bicycles through the streets of Berlin as part of a feminist demonstration labelled "Purple Ride".

Women at Turkey's border with Greece held a demonstration demanding they be permitted to cross during International Women's Day. There have been fierce clashes between migrants and Greek border security as the former seek access to the EU

Bangladeshi women played basketball on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka, in a match organised for International Women's Day.

Across Pakistan, marches took place in several cities in the face of violent threats and legal petitions. Here, people hold placards calling for an end to violence against women as they demonstrate in Islamabad.

In the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek police detained dozens of women's rights activists shortly after masked men reportedly attacked marchers. Activists say women's rights are deteriorating in the country.

In Belarus women took part in a "beauty run" to mark the day. Here, women warm up ahead of the run.

Women in the Spanish capital Madrid's Sol Square shouted and bashed pots and pans together to mark the start of the International Women's Day.

More of our coverage of International Women's Day:

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