IWD: Empowering Women, Enriching Humanity

Y Babji, Editor, Public Relations Voice

Each year on 8 March, the world unites to observe International Women’s Day (IWD), a day that celebrates women’s achievements while renewing the global commitment to gender equality. More than ceremonial events and social media messages, the day serves as a reminder that women’s rights are fundamental human rights and that gender equality is essential for sustainable progress and social justice.

Historical Origins

International Women’s Day traces its roots to the early twentieth century, a time marked by social reform movements, labour struggles and campaigns for women’s suffrage.

Several milestones shaped its evolution:

• 1908: Thousands of women workers in New York marched demanding better working conditions, fair wages, and voting rights.
• 1910: At the International Socialist Women’s Conference in Copenhagen, Clara Zetkin, a German activist and advocate for women’s rights, proposed the idea of an annual international day dedicated to women’s struggles and achievements.
• 1911: The first International Women’s Day was observed across several European countries.
• 1917: Russian women staged a historic strike demanding “Bread and Peace,” which later contributed to the recognition of 8 March as Women’s Day.
• 1975: The United Nations officially began observing International Women’s Day during the International Women’s Year.
• 1977: The UN encouraged member states to formally recognise the day as a global observance.

Over time, International Women’s Day evolved from labour protests into a global platform for policy dialogue, advocacy and celebration of women’s contributions across society.

Purple became the symbolic colour associated with IWD, representing justice, dignity, and the struggle for equality. Wearing purple on this day signifies solidarity with women around the world.

The United Nations has announced the official theme for International Women’s Day 2026 as “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.” The global campaign theme is “Give to Gain.” The campaign emphasises a powerful principle: when societies invest in women, everyone benefits. Empowering women is not a loss to others; rather, it is a collective gain that strengthens families, communities, and economies.

The campaign theme highlights three core ideas: (1) Giving Support: Providing education, mentorship, opportunities, and resources for women (2) Giving Recognition: Acknowledging women’s contributions in social, economic, scientific, and political spheres and (3) Giving Opportunities: Ensuring equal access to leadership, innovation, and decision-making roles.

The message is simple yet profound - when women thrive, societies flourish. In contemporary India, women are increasingly moving beyond traditional roles and entering fields such as science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), entrepreneurship, governance and innovation. Many are not only pursuing professional careers but also creating and leading enterprises that contribute to economic growth. Yet structural barriers persist.

Globally, women constitute approximately 49.7% of the population, with a slight male majority. In India, the female population is estimated at around 48.4–48.8%, indicating a continuing gender imbalance.

According to the Global Gender Gap Index 2025, India ranked 131st out of 148 countries, with a gender parity score of about 64.4%, suggesting that more than one-third of the gender gap remains unclosed.

Several indicators highlight ongoing disparities:

• Female literacy has improved but remains lower than male literacy.
• Women’s labour force participation has historically been low.
• Women occupy a relatively small share of leadership and political positions.

These realities indicate that while progress has been made in education and health outcomes, equal access to economic opportunities and decision-making roles remains a challenge.

Women and Economic Development

Gender equality is not merely a social aspiration—it is an economic necessity.

Studies consistently show that increasing women’s participation in the workforce significantly boosts national productivity and economic growth. Women’s education and economic independence also have positive ripple effects on family health, child welfare, and community resilience.

India has witnessed encouraging trends in recent years. The female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) has risen to approximately 41.7% in 2023–24, reflecting growing involvement of women in the economy. There has also been a notable increase in self-employment and women-led enterprises, particularly in sectors such as digital services, handicrafts, agriculture and start-ups.

The concept of “women-led development” is increasingly gaining recognition as a key driver of inclusive growth.

Politics and Leadership

Women’s political participation worldwide is growing slowly but steadily. Globally, women hold approximately 27% of parliamentary seats. In India, women constitute about 14% of the members of the 18th Lok Sabha.

However, India’s local governance system tells a more encouraging story. Due to constitutional reservations, women occupy nearly 46% of seats in Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies, demonstrating the transformative impact of affirmative action in grassroots governance.

Legal Safeguards

India has enacted several laws to protect and promote women’s rights. Some important legal frameworks include:

1. Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005: Provides civil protection to women facing physical, emotional, or economic abuse.
2. Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (POSH) Act, 2013: Mandates safe workplace environments and grievance redressal mechanisms.
3. Maternity Benefit Act (Amended 2017): Ensures paid maternity leave and job protection for working mothers.
4. Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006: Criminalises child marriage and supports annulment of such marriages.
5. Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012: Protects children, including girls, from sexual abuse.
6. Reservation for Women in Local Governance: Provides at least one-third representation for women in Panchayats and urban bodies.

While these laws provide a strong legal framework, effective implementation remains crucial.

Supporting Women’s Empowerment

Numerous organisations work to advance women’s rights globally and in India.

International organisations

1. UN Women advocates for gender equality worldwide.
2. Women’s Global Empowerment Fund supports economic and educational opportunities for women.

Indian organisations

1. National Commission for Women (NCW) monitors and addresses violations of women’s rights.
2. Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) empowers women in the informal sector.
3. All India Women’s Conference (AIWC) promotes education and social reform.
4. Breakthrough India and Jagori work to combat gender-based violence.

These organisations bridge the gap between policy and grassroots action.

Looking Ahead

International Women’s Day calls for both individual and collective action. Meaningful participation may include:

• Supporting women-led businesses
• Mentoring young girls
• Advocating inclusive workplace policies
• Challenging gender stereotypes
• Promoting respectful and equitable social attitudes

The journey toward gender equality is long, but the progress achieved so far demonstrates the transformative power of collective effort.

From History

Interestingly, in ancient India during the Rigvedic period, women enjoyed significant social status, including access to education, property rights and participation in intellectual and religious life. Over time, these rights diminished in later historical periods.

In contrast, ancient Greek society, particularly in Athens, restricted women largely to domestic roles. However, Spartan women enjoyed comparatively greater freedom and responsibility.

These historical comparisons remind us that gender equality has never been static; it evolves with social values and institutional structures.

Conclusion

Women, across nations and cultures, are the true architects of society. They nurture life, shape values, drive innovation and hold communities together with resilience and compassion. When women are empowered and respected, families prosper, communities strengthen and nations rise with dignity.

Let us honor the indomitable spirit of women and commit ourselves to a world where gender equality is not an aspiration but a lived reality.

Patents and the Perils of Incentive-Driven Innovation

Y Babji, Advocate & IPR Attorney

Intellectual Property Rights are intended to protect creativity, reward genuine innovation and encourage research that contributes to societal progress. Patents, in particular, are meant to recognise inventions that are novel, inventive and useful, while also serving as indicators of a nation’s scientific and technological advancement. However, when patent activity becomes incentive-driven rather than innovation-driven, the very spirit of IPR stands at risk of dilution.

Recent public debates sparked by a widely discussed Chinese “robo-dog” episode associated in public discourse with Galgotias University have brought this concern into sharp focus. The controversy is not merely about one institution or one isolated event. It raises deeper questions about how patent-linked incentives, rankings and funding mechanisms can be exploited when safeguards are weak.

Based on patent data from 2023–2024, Galgotias University reportedly filed more patent applications than all 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) combined. While the IITs together filed 1,106 patent applications, certain private universities significantly outperformed them in sheer filing numbers. Such a disparity, while not illegal in itself, warrants closer examination from a policy and governance perspective.

In India, filing a patent is relatively inexpensive. At the same time, innovation summits, academic schemes and policy initiatives often offer financial incentives, recognition or grants linked to patent filings. In some cases, a modest filing fee can potentially be followed by substantial monetary incentives. The objective behind such schemes is laudable, to encourage students, researchers and institutions to innovate.

However, when quantity begins to overshadow quality, patents risk becoming statistical instruments rather than authentic markers of intellectual contribution. A system in which a small filing cost can unlock large incentives creates an inherent vulnerability particularly when scrutiny at later stages is limited or inconsistent.

When an institution files an unusually large number of patents compared to national benchmarks, legitimate policy questions naturally arise are (1) Are these patents based on original, in-house research? (2) Do they satisfy the legal standards of novelty and inventive step? (3) Or are they strategic filings aimed primarily at maximising incentives, rankings or institutional visibility? These are not accusations, but governance questions that demand transparent, evidence-based answers.

Patent counts also play a role in national evaluation frameworks such as National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), which influence institutional reputation, student admissions, funding access and in some cases, fee structures. When ranking systems reward numerical outputs without proportionate scrutiny of substance, unintended consequences follow.

A self-reinforcing cycle may emerge like this. File more patents and improve rankings. Improve rankings and gain regulatory and financial advantages. Gain advantages and file even more patents.

In such an ecosystem, genuine innovators, especially students and researchers with limited institutional backing risk being crowded out by entities better equipped to navigate procedural loopholes. Innovation gradually shifts from problem-solving to performance metrics.

Another critical dimension is the use of public money. Any incentive or grant linked to patent activity ultimately draws from taxpayer resources. If rewards are issued at early or provisional stages without rigorous evaluation of originality, ownership or commercial viability, the system becomes vulnerable to rent-seeking behaviour, where financial gain overtakes scientific merit.

From an IPR standpoint, this is deeply problematic. Intellectual property is not merely a legal entitlement. It is a moral contract between the innovator and society. When that contract is stretched or manipulated, public trust in innovation ecosystems erodes.

It is therefore essential that this debate does not descend into personalised attacks or institutional vilification. The larger issue is systemic design, not individual intent. Several structural weaknesses demand attention towards (a) Limited scrutiny at the patent-filing and incentive-approval stages (b) Incentives tied to numbers rather than impact or commercialisation (c) Ranking frameworks that privilege volume over value and (d) Insufficient transparency in grant disbursement and audit mechanisms. These gaps explain why similar controversies recur across sectors, not only in higher education, but also in start-ups and research institutions.

The issue of patent integrity must also be viewed alongside concerns about institutional credibility in higher education. As per the UGC, there are 32 fake universities in the country, including 12 in Delhi alone. If institutions are declared fake for violating prescribed norms, does this justify branding Galgotias as fraudulent? While this statistic refers to unrecognised entities rather than accredited private universities, it highlights a broader challenge i.e. regulatory oversight has not always kept pace with rapid institutional expansion.

When oversight is uneven, incentives, whether linked to patents, rankings or grants are more likely to be misused. The result is reputational damage not only to individual institutions, but to India’s higher-education and innovation ecosystem as a whole. India’s innovation ecosystem urgently needs corrective measures. Intellectual Property Rights are a national asset. They must be guarded not only by law, but by integrity, accountability and thoughtful policy design. The present debate, whatever its trigger, should serve as a wake-up call to reform systems rather than sensationalise individuals or institutions.

In the end, a strong IPR regime is not one that produces the most patents, but one that produces the most meaningful ones. Patents that solve real problems, generate real value and genuinely reflect human ingenuity are the need of the hour.