Hundreds gather for International Women's Day rally

Emma-Rae, left, and her friends from Yew Gen youth group at the march

"We hang out, we have fun - and we're learning jiu-jitsu to help us feel safe."

Emma-Rae travelled to Belfast from Newry to take part in a march for International Women's Day.

The 13-year-old and her friends from the Yew Gen youth group in County Down waved banners with 'empower women' slogans and Chappell Roan lyrics.

She told BBC News NI that she wanted to help spread the word that "women's rights are human rights".

She said learning self-defence had made her feel "a lot safer" in a world that felt unsafe for women and girls.

A large crowd gathered in Belfast for the march to celebrate International Women's Day

'Call out bad behaviours'

Helen Crickard from Reclaim the Agenda which organised the march

Ending violence against women and girls was one of the main messages of the rally in Belfast, which was calling for peace across the globe, as well as closer to home.

Helen Crickard, of Reclaim the Agenda, which organised the march, said: "We want women not just to feel safe, but to be safe."

She said one of the aims of the march was to call on people to recognise, call out, and change bad behaviours towards women.

Angus Gregg was among those showing support at the rally

Angus was among the many hundreds who took part.

He said he wanted to do whatever he could to show his support.

"I have a lot of friends who don't feel safe going out at night or going into the city because they're afraid of being attacked or being harassed," he said.

Meanwhile, Ani Kanakaki from the Imagine Peace Barriers Project in north Belfast said poverty was another issue that affected women "disproportionately".

"Poverty is a kind of violence against women because it affects them disproportionately," she told BBC News NI.

'Together we are stronger'

Ending violence against women and girls was one of the main messages of the rally in Belfast

"Women in working class areas need investment. We need more education programmes; we need more funding; more training opportunities; childcare; we need more resources to help support women to grow and survive."

Janice Beggs, from north Belfast said it was important for people to gather for the march to ensure women don't "suffer in silence".

"Together we are stronger," she said.