Image copyright PA Image caption Famous faces at the march included Bianca Jagger, Annie Lennox and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan

Hundreds of people have gathered in central London for a march ahead of International Women's Day on Wednesday.

The #march4women event, organised by the charity Care International, aims to highlight the plight of female refugees.

Among those taking part is singer Annie Lennox, who said "half the world really needs our voice".

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan told crowds: "This is what a feminist looks like."

Campaigners chanted "women's rights are human rights" as they marched across Tower Bridge.

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Celebrities including Emeli Sande, Melanie C and Kate Nash led a sing-along on London's Southbank.

Image copyright PA Image caption Natasha Bedingfield and Kate Nash were among those who gathered by the river Thames

Image caption Annie Lennox, pictured with Emeli Sande, said she's standing up for women in other parts of the world

Trump 'catalyst'

Activist and singer Annie Lennox suggested that US President Donald Trump has been "helpful" in drumming up support for women's rights, saying his "locker room talk" acted as a "catalyst" for many women.

Dr Helen Pankhurst is the great grand-daughter of British suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst and is one of the event's organisers.

She said: "The fact that the most powerful person in the world has regressive views in terms of issues to do with equality and diversity is a major problem in this world.

"But that is actually getting more people into the streets and on social media demanding change. So that's what we need to do, we need to be even more forceful in our statements about the values we hold."

The human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger said she was calling for people "to think about what we are facing with a President in the US who wants to belittle women, who wants to reduce all rights".