116th Women's Day being marked today

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Mar. 8: Nepal is celebrating the 116th International Women’s Day on Sunday, highlighting women’s rights, equality, and empowerment. 

The global theme for this year’s celebration is “Rights, Equality and Empowerment for All Women and Girls,” while the national slogan is “Rights, Justice and Opportunities for All Women and Girls.” 

Observed annually on March 8, International Women’s Day honours the economic, political, and social contributions of women worldwide while advocating for gender equality, women’s empowerment, and the eradication of gender-based violence. 

Nepal’s Constitution has enshrined women’s rights as fundamental rights, ensuring proportional representation of women in political and administrative sectors.

Addressing the programme organised on Saturday, the National Women Commission (NWC) informed that it has prepared a digital profile of around 100 pioneering women of Nepal.

At the programme organised on the occasion of the 24th establishment day of the commission and the 116th International Women’s Day, Kamala Kumari Parajuli, Chairperson of the commission, said that women are still struggling for gender equality, empowerment and the eradication of gender-based violence even after more than a century of advocacy.  

She noted that due to the lack of full constitutional authority and budget, the commission cannot directly provide justice to women victims who file complaints at the commission.

“Daily, around 15 to 20 complaints related to violence against women are filed at the commission. Sharing the bitter reality of violence against women, the number of such cases has been increasing year after year,” she said.

Similarly, Top Bahadur Magar, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (Nepal), said the two commissions have collaborated several times in preparing various reports related to women’s rights.

The United Nations has officially observed International Women’s Day since 1975. The day traces its origins to March 8, 1908, when more than 15,000 women in the United States staged a demonstration demanding better pay, shorter working hours, and voting rights as an important milestone in the global struggle for women’s rights and welfare.