President Bidya Devi Bhandari has extended her best wishes to all the Nepali women living in the country and abroad on the occasion of 107th International Women’s Day.

In a message issued on Tuesday on the eve of the International Women’s Day, President Bhandari called for gender equality, empowerment and guarantee of women rights along with peace, progress and prosperity of women.

Women continue to lag behind men in educational, social and economic sectors and their situation is still bleak largely due to the existing social traditions, and the patriarchal social system, the Head of State said in her message. “Celebrating to raise significant voices for the rights of women in social, economic, political and cultural development, women all around the world rejoice International Women’s Day in March 8.”

“Many of the Millennium Development Goals declared by the UN in 2000 and Sustainable Development Goals address women empowerment and equality,” she said in the statement. “The constitution also guarantees rights of women while periodic planning conference has also emphasised women empowerment and gender equality bringing about some positive changes via strategic provisions, institutional management and initiatives for development,” reads the statement.