“A Promise is a Promise: Time for Action to End Violence Against Women.” – UN theme for International Women’s Day 2013.

8th March is being observed as the ‘International Women’s Day’ since 1917, the year in which the USSR was formed and it decided to observe the same as such. It was declared as a Holiday in USSR after some years.
The demand for gender equality, stopping sexual assaults and attacks on women, education for women etc. have been long pending demands of women. The United Nations has been organising the IWD since 1977 in which year United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for women’s rights and world peace. Every year a theme is also given. The theme for International Women’s Day 2013 is ” A Promise is a Promise: Time for Action to End violence Against Women”.
The above theme is timely. All over the world crimes against women are increasing. In India every day crimes against women such as sexual assault, rape and all kinds of harassing women and even children are increasing. The recent case of a brutal assault and rape of a young woman in a bus in Delhi and her death due to the same has shocked the entire country and unprecedented and huge demonstrations have taken place shaking the entire government machinery. Every day some case of rapes and assaults are reported. No place is safe for women. Even small girl children are not safe. In such a situation, the theme given by the UN is appropriate and has to be widely publicised.
All the Women’s organisations will be observing the day with many programmes. But it need not be a women’s programme alone. It is the responsibility of men and women to ensure that women are free and that the gender inequality is put an end to.
The year 2017 will see the centenary celebration of the International Women’s Day.
On this International Women’s Day let us pledge that all of us will stand together and fight for the rights of women and their freedom from gender bias and also for equal opportunity and also make the country safe for women.