Woman around the world are being urged to take Wednesday (8 March) off from work to demonstrate the contribution females make to society.

Organised by the same activists who planned the Women's March against US President Donald Trump, the group is calling the protest in honour of International Women's Day.

The protest has been labelled "General Strike: A day without a woman" and women have been instructed to not spend a single penny, except at businesses owned by women or minorities.

A statement on the activists' website said: "In the same spirit of love and liberation that inspired the Women's March, we join together in making March 8th A Day Without a Woman, recognising the enormous value that women of all backgrounds add to our socio-economic system – while receiving lower wages and experiencing greater inequities, vulnerability to discrimination, sexual harassment, and job insecurity."

Organisers have even prepared a letter that women can give to their superiors to explain why they are taking a day off, as well as a template out-of-office email reply.

Those who are unable to take a day off for fear of repercussions have been told they can contribute to the event by wearing red in solidarity.

Organisers added: "When millions of us stood together in January, we saw clearly that our army of love greatly outnumbers that of fear, greed and hatred.

"Let's raise our voices together again, to say that women's rights are human rights, regardless of a woman's race, ethnicity, religion, immigration status, sexual identity, gender expression, economic status, age or disability."