India for the first time will see only women security personnel ensuring the safety of a VIP today on the occasion of International Women’s Day. The protectee is none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will attend a mega event in Navsari, Gujarat. More than one lakh women are expected to participate in the public rally.

This initiative will give a strong message to the world on Women’s Day and it will also convey how women are playing an important role in making Gujarat a safe and secure State, Minister of State for home Harsh Sanghavi said.

Giving details, he said this will be the first such initiative in the country. “The Gujarat police is taking a unique initiative on the occasion of International Women’s Day. For the first time in the history of India, only women police will handle the entire security arrangement of the PM’s event - right from his arrival at the helipad at Vansi Borsi village in Navsari till the event venue,” Sanghavi said. The women police personnel will include Indian Police Service (IPS) officers and other personnel, he added.

The Prime Minister is on a two-day visit to Gujarat and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli on Friday and Saturday, during which he will address the ‘Lakhpti Didi Sammelan’ at Vansi Borsi village on March 8. He will disburse nearly Rs 450 crores to more than 2.5 lakh women from over 25,000 self help groups(SHG)across the state.

“All women police personnel, including more than 2,100 constables, 187 sub-inspectors, 61 police inspectors, 16 deputy superintendents of police, five SPs, one Inspector General of Police and one Additional DGP rank officer will handle the security that day,” he said.

Senior woman IPS officer and Home Secretary Nipuna Torawane will supervise the security arrangements, the State Home Minister said.

“In our culture, respect for daughters has been paramount. The Matri Shakti (motherly energy) of the country also played a big role in our freedom struggle and creation of the Constitution. I am sharing with all of you what Hansa Mehtaji had said while presenting our National Flag in the Constituent Assembly, in her own voice,” Modi had said in his Mann Ki Baat.

The Prime Minister said on the occasion of Women’s Day, he would hand over his social media accounts, such as those on X and Instagram, “to women who had achieved success in myriad fields, who had innovated and created a unique identity for themselves in various fields,” adding that “If you want to avail of this opportunity, become a part of this experiment through the special forum created on NamoApp and share your message with the whole world through my X and Instagram accounts,” he said.

Besides, the Centre on Friday said the Government will celebrate International Women’s Day on as a national event with the theme ‘Viksit Bharat with Nari Shakti’. A national consultation will be held in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu at Vigyan Bhawan. In a statement, the Women and Child Development Ministry stressed the significance of International Women’s Day as a global occasion to recognise women’s achievements across national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political boundaries.

“The Government will celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8 as a national event on the theme of Developed India with Nari Shakti which would be graced by the President,” said the Government statement.