Women’s Day
The UN theme for International Women’s Day 2012 is Empower Women – End Hunger and Poverty. In many countries, International Women’s Day is an occasion to honor and praise women for their accomplishments. On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2012, the ICRC is calling for more action to help the mothers and wives of people who have gone missing during armed conflict. The vast majority of people who go missing in connection with conflict are men. As well as the anguish of not knowing what has happened to the missing person, many of these women face economic and practical difficulties. The ICRC underlines the duty of parties to a conflict to search for the missing and provide information for the families.
In the India context, there is a need to celebrate the fact that in spite of adverse and hostile conditions, women here are breaking barriers and making it on their own. Though some measures have been taken to emanicipate women, yet mush needs to be done. If panchayats can have 50 per cent reservation for women, then why cannot Parliament have 33 per cent? Several important bills like the Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, amendment to Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act and Child Sexual Abuse bill have been introduced as early as 1997, but have still not been passed. Sex-ratio continues to drop as a result of this, causing gender imbalance.
The government should ensure that policies are women- friendly and ensure gender equity. For example, as more and more women are stepping out of their homes to join the workforce, there are more requirements for working women’s hostels and day care centres for children.
