Dossier: Celebrating a century of International Women's Day

Women head governments, run companies and comprise about half the world's workforce. But on International Women's Day a global survey conducted by Reuters/Ipsos shows that one in four people still believe a woman's place is in the home. In countries such as India, Turkey and Japan, where nearly half the participants said women should stay at home, there was little difference in opinion between the sexes. An almost equal number of men and women said women should not work.

The poll of over 24,000 adults in 23 countries indicates that a majority of those people surveyed in Latin America and Western Europe believe women should have the ability to choose to work outside the home. In Argentina, 91 percent agreed with this; in Germany 86 percent. In the US, 75 percent of those surveyed agreed a woman should have the right to work; in Russia - where International Women's Day is a public holiday - 66 percent agreed; and in India less than half of those polled (46 percent) said a woman should be able to work outside the home.

Deutsche Welle takes a look at the role of women and the success of the equal rights movements in Germany, Europe, Africa and Asia. Where are women particularly successful at getting ahead and where have they suffered setbacks? What hurdles still remain and who are the role models for the next generation of women? Read more about the issue of gender equality in the following articles.

Author: Kristin Zeier

Editor: Chuck Penfold