Female employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on Friday, March 8, 2013 joined the government of Liberia and partners in programs marking celebration of International Women’s Day.

The employees, under the banner, Ministry of Internal Affairs Women Association-MIAWA, neatly dressed in lappa suits were seen marching alongside women of other Ministries, Agencies, and non-government organizations in Bentol City, Capital of Montserrado County.

Liberian leader, H E. President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was at the Official Program marking the International Women’s Day.

Prior to the mean celebration, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, on March 6, launched Liberia’s Zero Tolerance Campaign against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).

The Liberian President challenged all sectors of the Liberian society to get involved in the fight, saying, “Liberians must do something to stop babies from continuously being raped”.

The President further called upon the National Legislature to debate, in their respective Houses, the Zero Tolerance Campaign which she said would be in the vast interest of everyone.

Statistics issued by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in observance of International Women’s Day show that: 70 percent of women worldwide report experiencing physical and/or sexual violence; 50 percent of sexual assaults report are committed against girls under 16 years of age; and 603 million women live in countries where domestic violence has not been criminalized.

In 1975, the United Nations set aside March 8 of each year to be commemorated as International Women's Day. It is traditionally marked with a message from the Secretary-General, with global and national themes. This year’s global theme is “The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum,” while the national theme is “Preventing Violence against Women and Girls for Nation Building”.