In many countries, Teachers' Days are intended to be special days for the appreciation of teachers; World Teachers' Day is celebrated across the world on October 5. Ever since the importance of teachers has been recognized by UNESCO, by adopting the “Recommendation concerning the status of teachers”, World Teachers' Day has been celebrated annually.^[1] This includes celebrations to honor the teachers for their special contribution in a particular field area or the community in general.

The idea of celebrating Teacher's Day took ground independently in many countries during the 20th century; in most cases, they celebrate a local educator or an important milestone in education (for example, Argentina commemorates Domingo Faustino Sarmiento's death on September 11 since 1915,^[2] while India celebrates Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan's birthday on September 5 since 1962^[3]). These two factors explain why almost all countries celebrate this day on different dates, unlike many other International Days.

International Women's Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked on March 8 every year.^[1] In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and social achievements. Started as a Socialist political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries, primarily Eastern Europe, Russia, and the former Soviet bloc. In many regions, the day lost its political flavour, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother's Day and Valentine's Day. In other regions, however, the original political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.

The first national Women's Day was observed on 28 February 1909 in the United States following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America.^[1] In August 1910, an International Women's Conference was organized to precede the general meeting of the Socialist Second International in Copenhagen. Inspired in part by the American socialists, German Socialist Luise Zietz proposed the establishment of an annual 'International Woman's Day' (singular) and was seconded by communist Clara Zetkin, although no date was specified at that conference.^[2] Delegates (100 women from 17 countries) agreed with the idea as a strategy to promote equal rights, including suffrage, for women.^[3] The following year, on 18 March, 1911, IWD was marked for the first time, by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. In the Austro-Hungarian Empire alone, there were 300 demonstrations.^[2] In Vienna, women paraded on the Ringstrasse and carried banners honouring the martyrs of the Paris Commune.^[2] Women demanded that women be given the right to vote and to hold public office. They also protested against employment sex discrimination.^[1] Americans continued to celebrate National Women's Day on the last Sunday in February.^[2]