IWD, celebrated on Wednesday, is an annual event to celebrate the achievements of women and push for rights progress.
The mimosa harvest has fallen by a third, with a drop in rainfall and higher temperatures forcing farmers to garner the twigs ahead of time, agricultural association Coldiretti said in a statement.
In addition, higher energy costs due to the war in Ukraine have made storing the scented flowers in refrigerators much more expensive, the group said.
Weeks of dry winter weather at the start of 2023 have raised concerns that Italy will face another full-blown emergency in the summer for the second year running.
The depleted supply of mimosas has pushed up prices, Coldiretti said, with large bunches selling for more than €20 euros ($NZ34).
This in turn has led to a steep increase in thefts of the flowers from farms by less well-off people determined not to disappoint the women in their lives.
Mimosas, first introduced to Italy in the 19th century, were chosen as the country's symbol of International Women's Day in 1946, the year after the end of World War 2.
The choice was made by two members of an anti-fascist organisation to embody women's strength, energy and perseverance.
The first recorded celebration of the International Women’s Day was in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland when over a million people rallied to support women's rights.
Since then, the event has grown not only in size but also in its scope. Focus has expanded to issues ranging from violence against women to parity in the workplace.
While no single group has ownership of the event, the United Nations is often at the forefront of celebrations after it officially recognized IWD in 1977.
However, celebrations around the world are usually decentralised, though some countries recognize IWD as a public holiday, including China, Russia and Uganda.
The UN's theme this year is "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality." The topic highlights how technology is crucial to advancing rights but a growing digital gender gap is impacting everything from women's job opportunities to safety online.
According to the UN, 259 million fewer women have access to the internet than men, and women are largely underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers.
