Lilongwe, March 7: President Dr. Joyce Banda will on Friday, March 8, 2013, attend the International Women’s Day (IWD) activities to be held at COMESA Hall in Blantyre.

According to communication from State House, the President will arrive at the venue at 09:30hours.

The IWD, also known as the United Nations (UN) Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace, is annually held on March 8 to celebrate women’s achievements throughout history and across nations.

Thousands of events occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.

The day is celebrated not only by women’s groups but also by organizations, governments, charities, educational institutions, corporations and the media.

The UN declares an International Women's Day theme and for 2013 it is “A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women”, according to information sourced from the internet.

In 2012 the theme was "Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty".

However, many countries and organizations develop International Women's Day themes relevant to their local contexts.