Barkha Deva

Women are increasingly visible, yet persistently interrupted. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto There is a particular kind of labour that rarely finds a name in public discourse: the labour of awareness. It is not assigned, not compensated, and not acknowledged; hitherto it is conveyed daily, almost instinctively, by women across cultures and contexts. This awareness is not born of suspicion, rather of experience; not of fear, rather of memory.

On March 8, 2026, women and girls around the world will demand equal rights, and equal justice to enforce, exercise, and enjoy them, to mark International Women’s Day. The theme aligns closely with 2026 also being observed as the International Year of the Woman Farmer. Legal reforms, including equal inheritance rights for daughters, have not translated into matching gains on the ground. In most rural households, land and property remain registered in men’s names.

‘Wars and political instability further weakening the institutions for the protection of women’ | Photo Credit: Reuters International Women’s Day is once again in our midst. Observed globally on March 8, the day has evolved from its early 20th century labour roots into a leading platform for deliberating on women’s rights, celebrating achievements and demanding concrete action toward gender equality.