International Women’s Day being celebrated today

International Women’s day is being celebrated across the world today to mark the achievement of women in different spheres of life. 2011 marks 100 years of the declaration & observation of International Women’s day. A week long campaign on women’s health and empowerment is being launched in the national capital Delhi to mark the occassion. An all-women crew will operate a 15-hour non-stop flight from New Delhi to Toronto. President Pratibha Devisingh Patil has said that International Women’s Day is being celebrated to recognize their commitment, dedication and achievements. Addressing a seminar National Commission of Women Chairperson Girija Vyas has said there are serious issues which need to be braved by them in the country.
Our Correspondent reports that women feel more empowered these days and are making their presence felt in every field. In Jammu and Kashmir government has announced a scheme “Anmol Beti” to promote female literacy.
AIR Jaipur correspondent reports that various programmes have been organised in Rajasthjan to celebrate the day.
As the country celebrates the International Women’s Day today, statistics reveal that India lags behind many countries, including its neighbours Pakistan and Nepal, when it comes to women’s participation in politics.
According to the data released by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), an international group that works for promoting democracy, peace and co-operation in the world, with only 11 per cent of women representation in the
Lok Sabha and 10.7 per cent in the Rajya Sabha, India ranks 98 in the world. India, the world’s largest democracy, has now only 60 women representatives out of 544 members in Lok Sabha, while there are 26 female MPs in the 242-member Rajya Sabha. While India shares its position with Benin and Jordan, it is ranked 47 places below Pakistan and 80 places behind Nepal. With 22.2 per cent women MPs in its Lower House and 17 per cent in the Upper House, Pakistan is placed 51 while Nepal is ranked 18, with 33.3 per cent of female MPs in its parliament, according to the IPU list released on January 31 this year.
Similarly China and Bangladesh also have a much higher representation of women in national politics compared to India. While the communist country is placed at 55 in the list, with 21.3 per cent women representation, Bangladesh is ranked 65th, with 18.6 per cent female participation in national politics, the data revealed.
Sri Lanka and Myanmar are the only neighbours which are placed above 100 in the list.
Following its elections last April, Sri Lanka is ranked 122 with only 12 female members, or 5.3 per cent, in the
225-seat National Assembly. Among the countries with highest women participation in national politics, Rwanda ranks number one in the world with over 56 per cent women members in the Lower House and over 34
per cent in the Upper House. Countries like Germany, Italy, Britain, France and the US are ranked 19th, 53rd, 62nd, 63rd and 72nd. There are 12 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman, which have zero women representation in their national assemblies, the report reveals.