March 8th is International Women's Day (IWD). In many cities around the world, people observe a Global Women's Strike on that day. This year there were a number of Women Against War events around the US. International Women's Day is a day for women on all continents to come together to celebrate their struggle for equality, justice, peace and development

In solidarity with the European "Great Walk" of women against anti-woman laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran, there was a march at 4:00pm in downtown Berkeley on IWD. ( Photos)

People gathered in front of the downtown Oakland military recruiting centers between 4:45 and 5:00 to vigil and distribute counter-recruitment materials. Then they marched through downtown Oakland with "Women say NO to war" and "Women say ENOUGH! BASTA!" banners, ending at the Unitarian Church for "Breaking Rank: Women of Color Soldiers Speak Out." (see 6:30pm below)
In San Francisco at 6:00pm on the USF campus, Bringing Women's Human Rights Home celebrated IWD and honor women's struggles for human rights and justice around the world.
A panel discussion entitled Voices of Middle Eastern Women was held at 6:00pm on the campus of San Jose State University. Women from Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Palestine raised awareness of the status of ordinary women, the main challenges they face, and ways that women can support one another in struggles against all forms of imperialism, colonialism, and patriarchy.
At 6:30pm, Breaking Rank: Women of Color Soldiers Speak Out took place in Oakland. The Women of Color Resource Center hosted a premiere screening of “Fashion Resistance to Militarism”, a documentary that looks at the militarization of U.S. society and culture and resistance by women and communities in the U.S. Following the screening there was a panel discussion with Aimee Alison and Tina Garnanez, two women of color and Iraq War veterans who are now spokespeople against the war and militarism.
Bay Area Women in Film And TV (BAWIFT) sponsored an IWD Short Film Showcase at 7pm in San Francisco. The WIFTI Showcase screenings took place in cities around the world on the same day, as a celebration of outstanding films by international women directors encompassing a broad range of styles, visions and passions worldwide.
At 7:00pm on the UC Berkeley campus, there was a screening of "Say I Do", a documentary about Filipina mail order brides.
Battle from the Margins was a 7:00pm San Francisco screening of films created through the Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project.

Wikipedia's IWD Page | Indybay's Coverage of 2005 IWD | 2004 IWD