Opening Speech

Tuni Bhattachayya

This year's theme is "Women Unite to Create Our Future". We have chosen this theme because of our history. As women we have a history to be proud of. For centuries women have been struggling against oppression. For more than a century these struggles have involved millions of women united in campaigns for liberation, taking up issues that affects us as women, which affect us as workers, and which affect us as peoples of colour, and people wanting peace and justice.

By taking united action, we have created our future. We have won many of our democratic rights, including the right to vote, the right to paid work, the right to child care and access to contraception and abortion services.

IWD is an opportunity to celebrate these gains, But it also serves to remind us that these rights are still not enjoyed by all women in the world today. IWD also serves to remind us that these rights are under attack again. So it is time again to unite. It is time again to let our voice be heard, so that we can create our future.

As we approach the 21st century, our movement remains as relevant and as necessary as ever