Every year, International Women's Day is marked to celebrate the economic, social, cultural and political achievements of women. It takes place on the 8th of March - to commemorate a police attack on a group of women protesting working conditions in the 1850s. It is a day for promoting women's rights and participation in political and economic processes; it is also an appropriate moment to reflect on the role that the police play in giving women the space to express their voice, their opinion and their dissent. In 1857 in the United States of America, the police suppressed women's voices. Among the countries of the 21st century Commonwealth, there are many police services that allow women the space for expression. There are also a concerning number of police still living with values more suited to the days of 1857, prohibiting the exercise of basic rights by women.

Source: Google /images

The seeds of International Women's Day were sowed by garment workers in New York City in 1857. Fighting poor working conditions and low wages, the women took to the streets and marched in protest. The police attacked and dispersed the group. Annual protests were held; in 1908 15,000 women marched through New York calling for higher pay, shorter hours, voting rights and the abolition of child labour. In 1909, the last Sunday of February was celebrated as the first Women's Day. In 1910, an international conference of socialist women proposed an International Women's Day. In 1911, women celebrated the day across Europe and America. In 1917, Russian women's refusal to call off women's day related demonstrations caused tremors that snowballed into the abdication of the Czar. In 1924, women in China celebrated the day for the first time, in Britain, women were still meeting to mark the day in the late 1920s. It fell by the wayside in the developed world in the face of political turmoil; however, it became an important holiday in the Communist nations of Russia, in recognition of the important role it played in the revolution. It was revived in the developed world by the feminist movements of the 1960s. In 1977, it was declared as a day for International Peace and Women's Rights by the United Nations. Today International Women's Day is a day of note across the globe.

The Police suppression of women's voices was a dominant theme in the development of the women's movement. It is the role of democratic and accountable police to protect their community, and to create a space for all people to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and political dissent. However, in Pakistan, the Maldives and India, recent history has shown the willingness of the police in each country to smother the voices of women.

Friends of the Maldives dedicated International Women's Day to all Maldivian women, particularly noting the efforts of Maldivian women who suffered at the hands of police while trying to exercise the rights to protest and freedom of expression. Maryam Manike is fighting for justice for her son, who was reportedly murdered by prison guards. She was arrested in August 2004 for attending a peaceful demonstration, detained without charge and subjected to physical and mental abuse by the police. Opposition party member Fathimath Shiuna was arrested in the middle of the night during February for demonstrating peacefully; she was subjected to humiliating treatment during her arrest, unable to change out of her nightclothes, and is still in detention, but has not been charged. Photojournalist Jennifer Latheef is currently serving a ten year sentence on charges of 'terrorism', after she exercised her right to peaceful protest.

Source: Google /images

In July 2004, a 32 year old Indian woman, Thangjam Manorama, was arrested by the Assam Rifles paramilitary group in Manipur, on suspicion of being involved with a separatist rebel group. Four days later, her body was discovered in the state capital Imphal, riddled with bullets. Women's groups, claiming she had been raped, tortured and murdered while in custody, called a 48 hour strike. A group of women protested naked outside the Assam Rifles headquarters - Memchaoubi Devi, president of the women's rights group Porei Lemarol Meira Phaibi Apunba Manipur said, "It is better to protest naked than allow the soldiers to kill and rape our women." The police attempted to impose a curfew to silence the women, and around 100 women were injured in the subsequent police crackdown. Women's groups reported members having to undergo surgery to remove pellets from their bodies.

Democratic, accountable police are critical for the free expression of political dissent and opinion in our communities, particularly for historically marginalised groups, including women. The police play one of two roles; either as a protector of the community and its values, or as a violent oppressor of the community's rights. While International Women's Day is a good day to reflect on the important role that police play in supporting women's right to expression, it is also important to keep a watchful eye on police conduct in the Commonwealth all through each year, to ensure that the police do not take on a role as oppressor. The garment workers of New York in the 19th century refused to be cowed by police force; they went on to form a trade union. As citizens of the Commonwealth, we must support this memory, and support the women who are fighting for their right to expression in this century and in our Commonwealth.

Daniel Woods
Access to Justice Programme
CHRI