The first official IWD was in 1975, when it was recognized by the United Nations. But its origins began earlier in 1908, when a women’s rights march in New York City saw 15,000 people advocating for better pay and voting rights. IWD was then commemorated in the USA on February 28, 1909, with countries like Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland joining the occasion in 1911. The event was taken global at the International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen in 1911. The date was not formalized until wartime strike in 1917, when Russian women demanded “bread and peace”.

Origin of women’s suffrage has evolved into a day of celebration and advancement of women’s rights. The aim of this year’s theme is to encourage people to challenge when women are not included in the wider conversation, whether in work place, in decision making or the general public. IWD organization is encouraging people around the world to use the hash tags IWD2024 and Inspire Inclusion while sharing positive messages about the important celebrations to show solidarity with women and girls. While women’s rights and equality narrative have worked well in some parts of the world, the reality is that women still face countless challenges because of their gender.

The World Economic Forum previously claimed that gender parity is about a century way, meaning there is a long way to go. The World Bank also said that 2.4 billion women of working age around the world do not receive equal economic opportunities compared to men. This campaign is as much for future generations as it is for people today. It is about bringing these topics to the forefront, shining a light on the challenges and finding impactful outcomes. According to IWD organisers, “There is urgent work to do – and we can all play a part”. It also added, everyone everywhere can help forge women’s equality matters, and all groups should be welcome to advance women’s equality by whatever appropriate means they choose”.

Colour of IWD 2024 is purple, green and white centred around the theme ‘Invest in Women Accelerate Progress’. This powerful slogan encourages collective action and investment in women, highlighting it as a human rights issue and emphasizing the urgency to accelerate progress. Women never completely have their rights, one person, until they all have their rights. Feminism is not about women stronger. Women are already strong. Some IWD quotes germane to the occasion are: ‘Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another’. ‘As women achieve power, the barriers will fall’. ‘How wrong it is for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants rather than to create it herself’. ‘Women must try to do things as men have tried’.

Some other thoughtful, powerful and uplifting words by and about women come courtesy of everyone from leading lights of politicians, civil society, activists, actors, writers, musical performers etc. ‘Women working together—linked, informed and educated—can bring peace and prosperity to this forsaken planet’. ‘Women are leaders everywhere one looks, from the CEO who runs a Fortune 500 company to the housewife who raises her children and heads her house loads.’ ’The world was built by strong women, and women will continue to break down walls and stereotypes’. ‘Women have discovered that they cannot rely on men’s chivalry to give them justice.’ ‘Human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights’.

In India, during the over last two centuries about 39 laws have been enacted to empower women, to end all types of discriminations and to let them be equal with men in all respects and all walks of human ebdeavours. The Constitution of India guarantees women absolute equality with men. As a sequel to this, all organs of the state have been sensitized to ensure justice, equality and fairness in their treatment of women. But in practice, women continue to face all types of discriminations, more so under the current dispensation of the RSS Pariwar union government and its ruled state governments. Instances of ill-treatments are legion.

According to the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, a total of 4,45,256 cases of crimes against women were registered across India in calendar year 2022, almost 51 FIRs every hour, up from 4,28,278 in 2021, and 3,71,503 in 2020. There are many more unreported crimes against women. It seems the doctrine of Hindutva, which looks down upon women, is working its full stream in official functioning. One hopes the crimes against women will reduce with the enforcement and proper workings of the rule of the law based system of the constitutional democratic governance and equality between the sexes or gender justice will prevail meaningfully!