International Women’s Day, celebrated on the 8th of March every year, remains a day of global importance. The day has deeply socialist origins, and in that spirit, it is pertinent to approach the issue of women’s rights with an intersectional feminist approach. ActionAidAssociation has long centred women’s rights in its work, not only at a strategy level, but also in its ground work with communities all across India. The importance of supporting female-led grass roots movements cannot be understated, and partnerships in this regard are essential to not only deepen understanding within ourselves, but also to truly contribute towards the sustainable empowerment of women from all communities.

Working with feminist organisations that challenge patriarchy in all dimensions is inherent to ActionAid Association’s work. We focus on equality of opportunity for women and girls from marginalised communities, primarily seeking to build their own agency in asserting and furthering rights around property issues, in the world of work and in challenging patriarchy in religion, politics, family, and society.

ActionAid Association through a network of community-based human rights defenders and community-based social formations is organising a range public programmes across India to commemorate International Women’s day.

The events were kicked off by meetings on the 7th of March. In Bhubaneshwar at Sitanath Nagar Slum Community Hall, a meeting was organised by activists associated with Young Urban Women Association, with active participation of community leaders, ASHA and ANM workers. In Sandhapalli, Kendrapara district women, youth and adolescent girl activists were celebrated. In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, a meeting was organised to discuss issues related to wages for women workers. In Beed, Maharashtra a conclave was organised with sugar cane workers, large proportions of whom are women, to bring to light the issues they are facing, especially with the impact of climate change on working conditions in the fields. A public meeting in the Mathagaria area of Guwahati city in Assam, saw leading social workers of the state speaking about the status of the rights and the constitutional frames mandated to protect the rights of the women and its present context.

Programmes have been planned for a week-long celebration of the International Women’s Day. In Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, we are organising a legal aid training programme that will focus on women rights, while providing on update on changes broght about with the passing of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Gauravi OSCC we are running with the Government of Madhya Pradesh. In Raisen a women’s convention is being organised, in Mandla a week-long series of community-level conversations will be launched on issues related to trafficking and migration, with a focus on the vulnerabilities faced by women and girls. In Indore a meeting will be organised with unorganised women workers to spread awareness about workers’ rights and entitlements. In Sagar, a meeting will discuss how Muslim women can access rights and entitlements and in Panna, a campaign to stop gender-based violence against women will be launched with Police Urja Desk.

In Maharashtra too, a series of events are being planned with a conclave for single women at Prabhani. Single women is a category which includes widows, divorcees, abandoned wives and never-married women. In Nuh, Haryana and SAS Nagar, Punjab the day will be celebrated with refugee women, in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, nomadic Gujjar women will mark the day. In Panipat and Hisar, Haryana nomadic tribal women and de-notified tribal women or women from the NTDNT community will celebrate the day and speak about the issues they face. On 11th March, 2024, in Taran Taran, Punjab, some 3,000 rural domestic workers and agricultural women workers will assemble for the Rural Domestic Workers Conclave. In Uttar Pradesh meetings have been planned to address issues related to women workers in Kushinagar and Muzaffarnagar.

In Odisha, community leaders, women leaders, adolescent girls and members of local community-based organisations will celebrate the day at Chhamunda gram panchayat of Jujomura block of Sambalpur district. The meeting will be followed by a human chain to highlight the issues of women’s equality and women’s rights. Members of Jan Jagaran Dadan Sangha, a women’s collective will mark the day at Naren and Mathanpala villages of Titlagarh block in Bolangir district. The meeting here will be followed by a padyatra, A meeting is also planned in Khuntagaon village of Sundergarh district. On 11 March 2024 celebrations are planned at Rattingia gram panchayat in Kandhamal district. Women from eight panchayats of G. Udayagiri block will gather and a padyatra will be organized on right to dignity, right to equality and creating liquor-free villages.

Besides women’s day celebrations will be held across all major cities and in almost all the villages where ActionAid Association has a presence.

As part of the global federation which seeks to mark International Women’s Day 2024, by amplifying the stories and perspectives of inspirational women across the world, ActionAid Association seeks to show case the work done by community-based human rights defenders, especially those who are women, who are making rooted advances in feminist values and women’s empowerment in the world of work, with respect to right to property and security at home and in public spaces. Women are #LeadingTheCharge.