KINGSTON, Jamaica — International’s Women Day, will be celebrated Wednesday under the theme “Women in the Changing World of Work:  Planet 50-50 by 2030”.

The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, however, said earlier this year that it will be turning the spotlight on gender-based violence for the occasion.

Director of Policy and Research in the ministry, Sharon Coburn Robinson, said this is in light of the recent spike in the cases of violence against women and girls.

“The norm is that for International Women’s Day we would have celebratory activities where we recognise and honour women for their achievements and contributions, but this year it is going to be a little different because of the context,” she said at a JIS Think Tank last month.

Internationally, the United Nations will be focusing of women in the working world and closing the gender wage gap.

Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, said in a statement to the media ““We want to construct a different world of work for women, as they grow up, girls must be exposed to a broad range of careers, and encouraged to make choices that lead beyond the traditional service and care options to jobs in industry, art, public service, modern agriculture and science.”