International Women's Day 2017: Best events and festivals around the world

International Women's Day is just around the corner and events will take place around the world to celebrate the social, political, economic and cultural achievements of women.

The theme for this year's IWD is "Be Bold for Change" – a call to women to take action against gender inequality.

It comes at a time when millions of women and their allies around the world have already been taking a stand against inequality and injustice.

Here are some of the ways you can get involved:

International Women's Strike/Day Without a Woman, global

On Wednesday 8 March, women around the world will hold a general strike, in opposition to the US President Donald Trump and to push for women's equality. It comes after more than three million worldwide took part in mass marches on the first day of Trump's presidency in January.

A statement from the organisers reads: "In the spirit of solidarity and internationalism, in the United States March 8th will be a day of action organised by and for women who have been marginalised and silenced by decades of neoliberalism directed towards working women, women of colour, Native women, disabled women, immigrant women, Muslim women, lesbian, queer and trans women."

Women of the World, London, UK

The Women of the World festival will take place once again at the Southbank Centre from Friday 10 to Sunday 12 March, with influential speakers, workshops, mentoring sessions and panel discussions featuring comedians, musicians, writers and more.

International Women's Day Lightning talks, global

The global training community General Assembly – in association with International Women's Day and other international partners – will host leading a series of women's career events in 11 cities around the world. The focus is on improving women's representation in tech, with talks and workshops in London, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Melbourne, Sydney and Singapore.

Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

A diverse panel of authors will discuss the theme Be Bold For Change and talk about their own experiences and what can be done to empower women, including Filipino author Candy Gourlay and Emirati author Noura Al Noman.

Free entry to museums, Italy

Italy is giving all women free entry to the country's museums on Wednesday to mark International Women's Day. The Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage has said it wants to "celebrate the feminine world" by highlighting works of art by women in their collections.

A number of special events, talks and exhibitions will take place at cultural heritage sites across the country throughout the day.

Global Mentoring Walk, Johannesburg, South Africa, and global

Celebrate International Women's Day by participating in the Vital Voices Global Mentoring Walk on 11 March 2017, taking place in Johannesburg. The walk in Johannesburg joins 134 walks happening in 60 countries around the world. This event will connect women leaders and spark a global movement to promote the rising generation through mentorship and the power of sharing skills and experiences to improve equality.