Kathmandu, March 7

International Women’s Day is being marked throughout the country tomorrow by organising different programmes. The theme for the day this year is ‘Time is now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives’.

Organising a press meet here today, Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare said a rally will be taken out from Bhrikutimandap at 7:00 to mark the day.

“The rally will be led by Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Tham Maya Thapa, while the main programme will be inaugurated by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari,” informed Radhika Aryal, joint secretary at MoWCSW.

Urging people from all walks of life to participate in the rally and raise awareness against the discrimination, violence and inequality, Minister Thapa said, “The ministry has been working to protect the rights of women and children. It has also been providing livelihood training for economic empowerment of women.”

She said the efforts of the MoWCSW alone were not sufficient for women empowerment and all had to contribute to ensure their respectable place in society. In the last 10 years, the government has made significant achievements in improving literacy rate among women.

Literacy rate among women has increased from 25 per cent to 57.4 per cent and life expectancy from 53 years to 69 years. Women’s representation in the Parliament has increased from 3.41 per cent to 33 per cent.