President Droupadi Murmu to lead India’s Women’s Day celebrations-OxBig News Network

President Droupadi Murmu will lead India’s International Women’s Day celebrations on Saturday, March 8. The Women and Child Development Ministry has organised a national-level conference on the theme “Nari Shakti Se Viksit Bharat”, featuring discussions with renowned women leaders from STEM, business, sports, media, and governance.

In the run-up to International Women’s Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited women to share their inspiring life stories on NaMo App Open Forum. Many stories highlighting women’s resilience and achievements from various walks of life have already been submitted. The Prime Minister announced that selected women would take over his social media accounts on March 8 to amplify their voices and experiences.

Women’s Day  

International Women’s Day is celebrated worldwide on March 8, recognising women’s achievements across national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic, and political boundaries. The theme for International Women’s Day 2025 is “For All Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, Empowerment”. This year’s theme calls for action to unlock equal rights, power, and opportunities for all, envisioning an inclusive future where no one is left behind.

Empowering the next generation – youth, particularly young women and adolescent girls – is central to this vision, as they are catalysts for lasting change, according to an official statement. The day aims to celebrate women’s contributions and inspire others by showcasing their journey of empowerment, perseverance, and success.

The first Women’s Day was celebrated on March 19, 1911, in the US and some European countries. The idea originated from the labour movement, where women garment workers marched in New York for gender equality, better pay, shorter working hours, and voting rights. In 1975, the United Nations officially designated March 8 as International Women’s Day.

More than 100 years late, issues persist

International Women’s Day aims to celebrate women and their rights while addressing the challenges they continue to face in our societies today. The year 2025 also marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a document considered the “most progressive and widely endorsed blueprint for women’s and girls’ rights worldwide”. This landmark document has transformed the women’s rights agenda, focusing on legal protection, access to services, youth engagement, and changing social norms, stereotypes, and outdated ideas.

According to the UN, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is “the most comprehensive and transformative global agenda for achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls”. However, a recent review by the UN Secretary-General notes that “gender discrimination remains deeply embedded in all economies and societies, imposing chronic constraints on the rights and aspirations of women and girls”.

Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted by 189 governments in 1995, aimed to achieve equal rights for all women and girls. The UN Secretary-General’s report on the 30-year review and appraisal of the declaration reflects global, regional, and national reviews of 159 countries, summarising progress and priorities for further action.

The report finds that many countries have made significant strides in gender equality and women’s empowerment, ranging from banning employment discrimination to adopting gender-responsive climate action plans. While innovation has accelerated progress, opening opportunities to scale up proven strategies, gender discrimination remains deeply entrenched in economies and societies worldwide, imposing chronic constraints on women’s and girls’ rights and aspirations.

India is a signatory to the Beijing Declaration and other key international treaties, including:

– Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

– International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR, 1966)

– Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, 1979)

– United Nations Convention Against Corruption (2003)

– Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development