Delhi University Students Join Women's Day March
Students from Delhi University participated in marches and demonstrations for International Women's Day. The events, including a 'Shakti Walk' at Kartavya Path joined by the Delhi CM, were organized to highlight issues of gender equality and women's rights.
This year's International Women's Day marches align with the global 2026 theme, "Give to Gain," which emphasizes that empowering women through equal opportunities and support benefits all of society. The United Nations has also designated the theme as “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls,” calling for the dismantling of discriminatory laws and weak legal protections that systematically disadvantage women globally. Globally, women currently possess only 64% of the legal rights that men do. Projections indicate that at the current rate of progress, it will take an estimated 286 years to close the existing gaps in legal protection for women. The UN's focus for 2026 is on enforcing laws to ensure equal justice in areas like ending gender-based violence, promoting women's participation in leadership, and eliminating discrimination in family and labor laws. Delhi University has a long and significant history of student activism, with students having been on the front lines of major national movements. This legacy of protest dates back to the independence struggle, including the Quit India Movement in 1942, and continued through pivotal moments like the 1975 Emergency. The campus has frequently been an epicenter of political debate and mobilization in India, launching the careers of national politicians like the late Arun Jaitley. Student organizations like the All India Students' Federation (AISF) have been active at the university for decades, organizing protests and shaping political discourse since the 1940s. The Women's Day march occurs in a climate of heightened student engagement at the university. In February 2026, hundreds of students held an "Equity March" to demand the implementation of UGC Equity Regulations 2026, which are aimed at preventing caste-based discrimination in higher education. Following clashes between student groups during the equity protests, the Delhi University administration banned all protests, processions, and public meetings on campus for one month, citing law and order concerns. This ban was implemented just weeks before the International Women's Day events.
