This year's theme is "A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women". It seeks to strengthen the international community's commitment to put an end to violence against women.
Although many strides have been made to give women a lifeline, majority of them still shoulder a huge burden of healthcare, economic hardships as well as discrimination from male chauvinism.
According to the United Nations, nowhere in the world can women claim to have all the same rights and opportunities as men, with women taking lead of majority of the world's 1.3 billion absolute poor.
"We are still determined to counter the political and cultural challenges that have continued to put us at a disadvantaged position in our society," says Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organisation chairperson, Rukia Subow, who is urging women to maximise gains entrenched in the constitution.
A recently formed UNWomen, an affiliate of the UN has rolled out programmes that it hopes will empower women to among other benefits ensure their realisation and enjoyment of the constitutional provisions.
Top on UNWomen's agenda is to strengthen the capacity of women who have expressed interest in vying for various leadership positions. These include provision of training services, as well as advocacy campaigns.
It has since launched the Gender Empowerment Media Network, which it intends to use to advocate for women's rights and responsibilities, as enshrined in the constitution.
UN secretary general Ban Ki Moon is leading in the campaign to stop violence against women and give them a chance to coexist peacefully in the society.
The first IWD was held on March 19 in 1911. The inaugural event, which included rallies and organised meetings, is reported as having been a big success in countries such as Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.
The date was chosen to commemorate the day the Prussian king promised to introduce votes for women in 1848, which gave hope for equality, though he failed to honour it. The date was then moved to March 8 in 1913.
In a message to the world ahead of today's celebrations, Moon says, "there is one universal truth, applicable to all countries, cultures and communities: violence against women is never acceptable, never excusable, [and] never tolerable."
Various events have been earmarked for today, key among them acclaimed singers and musicians are set to come together and spread a message of unity and solidarity. They are also set to launch a song dubbed "We are one Woman".
Unlike in the past, the current constitution has spelled out key provisions that must be adhered with to ensure equitable distribution of resources. It further gives a clear formula that is to be used in the appointment and distribution of government positions.
It prohibits all forms of discrimination including violence against women, who are now beneficiaries of provisions that allow them to own and inherit land.
Subow thinks the government is not doing enough to protect the constitutional gains: "The courts recently ruled against the two thirds provision, which could have benefited majority of women who carry a huge burden of the society."
The constitution maintains a one third requirement for either gender in elective bodies giving women at least a minimum representation in elective public bodies. It also ensures that gender equality is maintained in political parties, providing a basic requirement for them to respect and promote gender equality.
In spite of the theoretical assumption of a level playing field in politics, women have continued to suffer the wrath of violence at the hands of murky waters that continue to be dominated by men.
A few women have endeavoured the storm and consolidated their grip in national politics. In the just concluded general election, where only one woman contested the presidency against seven men, a couple of household names have emerged victorious.
Though Martha Karua's performance may be dismal, Hellen Sambili and Joyce Laboso have comfortably defended their parliamentary seats, while hard fighting Mary Wambui has defied all odds to trounce a pool of men from Othaya, to replace the outgoing long serving MP, President Mwai Kibaki.
In 1975, the UN drew global attention to women's concerns and called for an International Women's Year. It also convened the first conference on women in Mexico City the same year.
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (Cedaw), adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is often described as an international bill of rights for women. It clearly defines what constitutes discrimination and sets up an agenda for national action to end it.
The convention defines discrimination against women as "...any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field."
Worrying statistics indicate that 50 per cent of sexual assaults are committed against girls under the age of 16, while over 60 million girls worldwide are forced into marriage before attaining 18 years; a cultural practice that has continued to receive public condemnation here in Kenya.
Globally, 603 million women live in countries where domestic violence is not yet considered a crime, and another 70 per cent report having experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.
A University of Nairobi communications scholar and a mother of two, Pauline Akuku, wonders why Kenyans do not celebrate its women.
She is appealing to media to be proactive in highlighting the day, which she regards so highly as a time when the public can take stock and appreciate the delicate yet a must, balancing act that women endure in their lives.
"We need to have a clear recognition of the big heart that God gave us. The society needs to appreciate this by giving back to us through deep and sustainable gifts of patience, tolerance and understanding," says Akuku.
She is optimistic that Kenya's quest for an all-inclusive society will be achieved: "We have made numerous gains since we promulgated the constitution, and we can all confirm the good attempts by the government to factor in women in all public appointments."
In a bid to paint a smile on the women's faces today, the public has been urged to bring gifts to their female friends and women as a sign of compassion, love and appreciation on this special day.
"This will help recognise the importance of women in our society; it will help in their influence, and highlight issues that affect us," says Akuku.
Throughout history, women have been subjected to consistent rights abuses while being compelled to undertake an irresistible amount of obligations.
They also continue to be victims of hostility, with rape and domestic violence listed as significant causes of disability and death among women worldwide.
Other than economic challenges, women endeavour the burden of healthcare, where they are compelled to address myriad of diseases that affect them and their young ones.
Approximately one out of every eight adults in the rural areas and one in every five urban women are infected with HIV, with the infection rate being higher than that of the male counterparts.
For a long time women have suffered at the hands of their in-laws when their husbands die. Some of them have been compelled to start life from scratch as their spouses' family scramble for family property, with no regard for children and responsibilities left behind.
A few gallant women, whose courage is being celebrated today, chose to defy all odds and lived their lives to the best of their wishes.
The late Wambui Otieno Mbugua went against cultural expectations and norms to demand that her husband be buried at their farm in Matasia, instead of his ancestral land in Nyalgunga.
Though she lost the case, she proved to the public that she was her own woman and that she was determined to fight for her rights in a highly charged male society.
She was not done yet, as she later remarried to the love of her life; a reunion that attracted a public condemnation, but which she gave a deaf ear to.
Some communities continue to abuse women's rights by subjecting them to retrogressive cultural practices such as female circumcision and wife inheritance, against their wishes. While the heinous acts are illegal, the government lacks the prerequisite machinery and goodwill to effectively arrest the atrocities.
A recent study conducted by the Centre for Multiparty Democracy exposed the government's unwillingness to fully incorporate women in the country's leadership.
The study says the practice of excluding women in leadership extends to Parliament, where women legislators occupied a paltry nine percent in the last session.
Some of the agencies that have continued to advocate and defend women's rights include the Federation of Women Lawyers [Fida Kenya], which connects with the indigent woman through its legal aid clinics and community action groups.
It continues to empower women with legal knowledge to reach their grassroots counterparts at the municipality level, while connecting horizontally with like-minded players from whom it shares practices and innovations.
Cedaw has provided the basis for realising equality between women and men through ensuring women's equal access to, and equal opportunities in, political and public life. This includes the right to vote and to stand for election as well as education, health and employment.
According to the convention, states parties have the obligation of taking all appropriate measures, including legislation and temporary special measures, so that women can enjoy all their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The convention has for a long time been the only human rights treaty which affirms the reproductive rights of women and targets culture and tradition as influential forces shaping gender roles and family relations.
It affirms women's rights to acquire, change or retain their nationality and the nationality of their children. States parties also agree to take appropriate measures against all forms of traffic in women and exploitation of women.
As we celebrate the far our women have come, we should continue being proactive in preaching the message of hope and stability, as we educate public on the need to know our rights so that women can demand and enjoy them.