10 reasons why we still need International Women's Day (although there are many, many more)

There are a number of women who will not be celebrating International Women's Day. Reasons range from lack of identification with current mainstream feminist movements, and what some might say is a Eurocentric focus on women.

The facts, however, remain the same.

A gender pay gap is still in existence, female representation in the political sphere remains, on the whole, abysmal, and issues pertaining to women continue to be sidelined in mainstream discourse.

Here are ten more reasons why International Women's Day is so vital:

1. Because victim-blaming adverts like this still exist

2. Globally 1 in 3 women will experience violence at the hands of a male partner, and 81 per cent of domestic violence cases in the UK are women

A Twitter campaign called #WhyIStayed puts the spotlight on abuse and the difficulties facing women who try to leave abusive relationships.

3. Women in Iran have to ask their husbands' permission to leave the country

Niloufar Ardalan, the captain of Iran's women football team, was denied permission to leave the country to play in the 2015 Asian Football Confederation Futsal Championship because her husband refused to sign papers allowing her to go.

Although the decision was overturned by the Iranian authorities in a one-off exemption, there are a number of laws restricting women's freedom of movement that still remain.

4. Only 29 per cent of parliamentary members in the UK are women, and only 9.6 per cent of FTSE UK Executive Directors are women

5. Because gang rape is still seen as a form of justice

Amnesty International campaigned for the Supreme Court of India to protect two girls from Utter Pradesh province who were sentenced to be "raped and paraded naked with their faces blackened as punishment for their brother’s actions."

The brother's "crime" was that he had married outside his caste.

While the campaign was successful and Delhi police were ordered to protect the girls, these unofficial councillors often operate outside the Indian system of law.

6. As of 2015, one in four women in the world between the ages of 20-24 were once child brides

7. Approximately 85,000 women are victims of rape in the UK every year, but only 15 per cent are reported to the police

The prevalence of victim-blaming and the policing of women's behaviour rather than a focus on the crime itself means that rape culture is rife.

This makes it difficult for victims of sexual abuse, the vast majority of which are women, to come forward.

8. On the subject of rape, in certain countries the rape victim must marry her attacker

Gulnaz, from Afghanistan, had been attacked and raped when she was 16, and after immense societal pressure, married her attacker.

This is not uncommon practise in a number of countries where rape is seen as a source of shame for the victim, rather than a punishable crime.

9. In the UK women can't serve in the Royal Marines as part of front-line units

This means that women are unable to go forward for a promotion to become Royal Marines Commandos.

10. Basically this poster...

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