This is a sampling of the events that took place around the globe. It's called 'Progress.'
International Woman's Day
In pictures: International Women's Day
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/4786726.stm
Pictures from 2005
In pictures: International Women's Day
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/4329905.stm
Pictures from 2004
In pictures: International Women's Day
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/3542511.stm
Dia Mirza celebrates International Women's Day
By Nitin n Sethi, Bollywood Trade News Network
Women across the globe will be celebrating International Woman's Day on March 8, 2006. In keeping with the tradition, Cinemax Cinemas, the largest multiplex chain in Mumbai would be celebrating Woman's Day as well as bring cheer to women cancer-afflicted patients from the NGO Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) in several ways. To start with, DIA MIRZA - known for her compassion and champion of social causes will visit Cinemax Sion and interact with the patients. Cinemax Sion will also host a special screening of the much talked-about film CHINGAARI. Other renowned people present at this interaction will be the star vocalist and actress Ila Arun, well-known director Ms. Kalpana Lazmi, Music Composer Dr Bhupen Hazairika, Dr. Rajendra Badwe (Oncologist at Tata Memorial Hospital, Breast Cancer specialist) and Mr Y.K. Sapru, Founder Chairman, CPAA along with Ms. Hiral Kanakia, Director Cinemax. This initiative undertaken by Cinemax is dedicated wholly to CPAA, an organization, established in 1969 and committed to the "Total Management of Cancer" from awareness to rehabilitation.
http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/06/mar/08dia.asp
PLC member upsets Women's Day parley
By RUTH EGLASH
A Palestinian Legislative Council member sparked an angry reaction at Na'amat's International Women's Day conference on Wednesday after telling those gathered that Israel's occupation of Palestine was the biggest cause of suffering for Palestinian women.
Speaking at the Tel Aviv conference, Jihad Abu Zneid, a representative of the Fatah party, told more than 600 women - Jews, Druse, Israeli Arabs and Palestinians - that Palestinian women were the group hardest hit by the social and economic hardships caused by Israel's occupation of Palestine.
Her harsh criticism of Israel was met with great hostility, prompting Na'amat chairwomen Talya Livni to take the microphone and ask the protesters to be quiet.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1139395566031&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
FRENCH POLYNESIA: International Women's Day Observed With Some Grim Statistics, Realities
Friday: March 10, 2006
Tahitipresse reports that, while French Polynesia celebrated International Women's Day Wednesday, the Temaru government released some grim statistics and realities about the status of women in Tahiti and Her Islands.
An estimated 25% of the women in French Polynesia are victims of violence, compared with 10% of women in France, the Ministry of Family Affairs and the Role of Women reported. In nine out of 10 cases of violence in Tahiti, the victim knows the violent person, who is among her close relations.
As women around the world celebrated the universal day, the ministry in Tahiti publicly took a stand against what it described as a real "scourge" of family violence.
http://www.pacificislands.cc/pina/pinadefault2.php?urlpinaid=20791
Iran: Police Attack Women's Day Celebration
09 Mar 2006 18:27:40 GMT
Source: Human Rights Watch
(New York, March 9, 2006) – Iranian police and plainclothes agents yesterday charged a peaceful assembly of women's rights activists in Tehran and beat hundreds of women and men who had gathered to commemorate International Women's Day, Human Rights Watch said today. The attack took place shortly after participants in the celebration assembled at Tehran's Daneshjoo Park at 4 P.M. on Wednesday, March 8.
"The Iranian authorities marked International Women's Day by attacking hundreds of people who had peacefully assembled to honor women's rights," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Once again, Iran's government has signaled that it is ready to use violence to suppress peaceful public assembly of any sort."
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/0ead934ab6f2e9e124df8d9cb1bdddca.htm
International Women's Day kicks-off campaign against forced prostitution
Unite to fight forced prostitution
The EU must show the red card to forced prostitution and fight trafficking in human beings for sexual purposes, said participants in a seminar organised by the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights on the occasion of the International Women's Day on 8 March.
In the light of alarming reports of a sharp increase in forced prostitution during big events, such as the upcoming football world cup in Germany, the Committee wanted to exchange views and discuss strategies and ways forward to combat forced prostitution. As Anna Záborská, chairwoman of the Committee said, "this is not the end of the debate, the debate will continue until the end of forced prostitution".
http://www.europarl.eu.int/news/public/story_page/014-6005-067-03-10-902-20060309STO06004-2006-08-03-2006/default_en.htm
Dia At International Women's Day
By Kkomal Seth & Gautam Seth
Dia Mirza attends International Women's Day at Cinemax along with NGO Cancer Patients Aid Association.
Women across the globe celebrated International Woman’s Day on March 8, 2006. In keeping with the tradition, Cinemax Cinemas, the largest multiplex chain in Mumbai celebrated International Woman’s Day and brought cheer to women cancer-afflicted patients from the NGO Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) in several ways. To start with, DIA MIRZA – known for her compassion and champion of social visited Cinemax Sion and interacted with the patients. Cinemax Sion also hosted a special screening of the much talked-about film “Chingari”. Other renowned people present at this interaction were the star vocalist and actress Ila Arun, well-known director Ms. Kalpana Lazmi,Music Composer Dr Bhupen Hazairika, Dr. Rajendra Badwe (Oncologist at Tata Memorial Hospital, Breast Cancer specialist) and Mr Y.K. Sapru, Founder Chairman, CPAA along with Ms. Hiral Kanakia, Director Cinemax. This initiative undertaken by Cinemax was dedicated wholly to CPAA, an organization, established in 1969 and committed to the “Total Management of Cancer” from awareness to rehabilitation.
http://ww.smashits.com/events/699/1/Dia-At-Women-s-Day.html
8 March : International Women's day - ♀rganise! M♀bilise! W♀men friendly
& Gender fair uni♀n
BWI Online
2006
Geneva / Switzerland, 8 March 2006: The Building and Wood Workers International (BWI) celebrates international women's day and engages to further advance womens' rights in bulding, wood, forestry and allied sectors.
For the past ten years BWI, together with its affiliates, has developed a global programme to promote the rights of women working in our sectors. Initially a male dominated work area, nowadays about 20 per cent of our membership are women working in construction, wood and forestry. But although the number of women working in our sectors is growing, women hold the poorest paid jobs and very often find themselves exposed to informal and extremely precarious, unsafe working conditions in Africa, Asia, Latin
America, Europe and other parts of the world. They are exposed to sexual harassment and violence and often find it difficult to balance their working life with their family responsibilities.
http://www.union-network.org/uniwomen.nsf/0/5B7D1B92714923C0C125712C0040D3D4?OpenDocument
Stop violence and hiv/aids and Organise women
UNI publishes a new STOP poster (download here below) to mark the International Women's Day 2006…
On 8 March, around the world, women will again commemorate "their" day celebrating their hard won gains, but also drawing public attention to the persisting inequalities in society and on the labour market and as well as women's continuing struggles for their rights and the elimination of injustice.
The 2nd UNI World Women's Conference last year had reaffirmed UNI's commitment to build respect for lives of women and girls and an understanding that the integrity and dignity of women and girls is an integral part of all cultures and therefore to continue the fight against violence as well as HIV/AIDS.
To forward this objective it was agreed that UNI and its affiliates would continue campaigning to "Stop violence" against women and girls in line with the UNI policy as freedom from violence and sexual coercion is essential to both psychological and physical security as well as reduced vulnerability to HIV infection.
… and reactivates the campaign to Organise Women into Trade Unions
The Conference had also agreed to stepping up efforts to organising women in our industries, both in the formal and the informal economy, especially in receiving countries of outsourced work and the new types of workplaces and jobs such as in the customer services.
In line with its commitments, UNI therefore invites its affiliates to reengage in the Global Unions campaign "Unions for Women, Women for Unions" focusing on organising women working in the new workplaces, the young and the most vulnerable ones such as migrants, workers with part-time and precarious jobs and in the informal economy. The aim is to enable all women to assert their rights and to become the driving force behind unionisation.
Let us all continue to strongly campaign for women's rights, organise women into trade unions and combat violence and HIV/AIDS.
http://www.union-network.org/UNIwomen.nsf/WomensDay2006
International Women's Day observed across NorthEast
[TamilNet, March 10, 2006 00:00 GMT]
International Women's Day was observed in several parts of NorthEast on Wednesday, sources said. Local women's organizations and Non-governmental organization participated in events held in Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Jaffna and Mannar.
Head Kilinochchi district Women's Organization, Ms Thevambikai presided an event held at the Kilinochchi Cultural Hall at 10 a.m., sources said. Kilinochchi Deputy Political Head, Arul, lit the traditional lamp and Ms. Vasanthi, Officer in charge of Women's Arts and Cultural Organisation, hoisted the Thamileelam National flag before the beginning of the celebratons.
S.Pasupathipillai, Secretary of the Tamil National Resurgence Forum Kilinochchi district, Ms. Poovili, Head of Kilinochchi District Women's politcal wing spoke and Ms. Thamilvili, Deputy head of Women's political wing, gave the special address.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=17412
International women's day - a time to reflect and remember the women of Zimbabwe
Spare a thought for the women of Zimbabwe as the world celebrates international women's day
By Rhoda Mashavave
AS women all over the world celebrate International Women´s day today, Zimbabwean women continue to suffer under Robert Mugabe´s tyrannical rule.
Gone are the days when women were given the respect they deserved. Many women continue to bear the brunt of state-sponsored violence when they demonstrate against the shortage of food, sanitary products, poor governance and related issues.
Instead of addressing the women’s plight, the government of Zimbabwe has found pleasure in beating, harassing and even arresting the long suffering women when they air their complaints and grievances.
http://www.zimbabwejournalists.com/story.php?art_id=196&cat=4
International Women's Day marked in Cape Town
March 08 2006 at 03:52PM
By Jacques Keet
International Women's Day on Wednesday was marked by various events in Cape Town, including the launch of the 50th anniversary programme to commemorate the 1956 women's anti-pass march in Pretoria.
Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan unveiled a year-long programme of action to celebrate the Pretoria march and other anniversaries.
At a media briefing, Jordan said these included the centenary of the poll tax uprising in Natal in 1906 (also known as the Bhambatha Rebellion), and the 30th anniversary of the Soweto uprising.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=13&art_id=qw1141820466333B255&set_id=
Lalla Meryem celebrates International Women's Day
Morocco TIMES
3/9/2006 11:48 am
HRH Princesse Lalla Meryem, President of the National Union of Moroccan Women (UNFM), presided Wednesday in Rabat over a ceremony organised on the occasion of the International Women's Day. The ceremony was marked by the signature of three solidarity conventions.
An example of the record book was presented to the princess as a prelude to the campaign for using the register at the national level. Ph: RR.
The first convention was signed by Rabiâa El Mrini, first vice-president of the UNFM, the Minister of Health Mohamed Cheikh Biadillah, and Georges Georgi, representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Morocco.
The second was signed by Rabiâa El Mrini and Dr. Mohamed Achrafi, the president of Urgent Action Association; and the third one by Rhma El Oudiy, secretary general of the UNFM's Tanger regional office, and José German Camarero Gill, the president of Raid 5 DT Cordoue Foundation.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=13377
"Morning Papers" continued ...
