2011 is the 100th year of International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.
On 8th March, students, teachers, and the senior management from the G D Goenka World School and University joined together on the Goenkan Peace Bridge to mark this important day. To join the Global Campaign, the IAYP volunteers organized a mini Walkathon in the school campus to call for an end of violence against women in war-torn countries across the world, including Afghanistan, one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman.
Goenkans,both from the school and university ,responded enthusiastically and vigorously by “walking for a cause” and signing nearly 311 petitions that will later on go to the Women for Women International Charity which will help the cause of stopping violence against women.
It was great to see the administrators, who are more often than not busy with their desk jobs walk around the track to support this noble cause. In all four hundred and eighty nine laps were punched on the walkathon lap cards by students and teachers, with Mr. Arvin Dang and Ms Shireen motivating all with a record of sixteen laps each. Though we went home when school ended, the boarders say that a lot of college students, professors, house Parents and the school Director walked laps to support the women on the Peace Bridge.
The most memorable part of the day was not most of the school participating, or losing voices to promote the cause but rather 
the fact that the entire event was organized predominantly by girls, which should definitely count as an achievement in itself, but the boys were almost as enthusiastic to help them, displaying how equality can be achieved on a small scale, and so achieving it around the world may become easier as generations progress.
With the success of the IAYP walkathon, let’s make a conscious effort to make morally and ethically correct decisions to endure that the future for women around the world is bright, equal, safe and rewarding.
The Principal, Mrs. Neeta Bali, complimented the IAYP team and remarked “Great initiative and to me it epitomized, the social sensitivity of the students at GDGWS who never shy away from voicing their concerns about topical issues or espousing a worthy cause”.
