Manila A fray broke out in front of the US Embassy as demonstrators attempted to pelt the facade of the foreign mission with red paint to dramatise their protests on the eve of International Women's Day.

No one was reported seriously hurt in the late morning scuffle in the capital after police formed a human barricade to prevent members of the militant women's group, Gabriela, from overwhelming them defacing the US embassy seal placed at the frontage.

Radio reports said the women pushed and shoved the defending policemen while some newsmen covering the event found themselves caught in the middle of a barrage of red paint released by the demonstrators against the lawmen.

The demonstrators are protesting the presence of US military forces in the Philippines. Reports said that at any given period, the US has at least a battalion of military personnel in various parts of the country.

Left-wing groups such as the Gabriela had long been protesting the presence of American soldiers in the Philippines. They say the existence of armed combatants from nation violates the country's sovereignty and leaves Filipinas prone to abuses as well as prostitution.

 

International celebration

 

The demonstration was held a day before the worldwide celebration of the International Women's Day.

In 1975, during International Women's Year, the United Nations began celebrating 8 March as International Women's Day.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in a statement issued on the occasion of International Woman's Day 2012, said that while gender equality and women empowerment are gaining ground worldwide, "there is a long way to go before women and girls can be said to enjoy the fundamental rights, freedom and dignity that are their birthright and that will guarantee their well-being."

"Nowhere is this more apparent than in the world's rural areas. Rural women and girls — to whom this year's International Women's Day is devoted — make up one quarter of the global population, yet routinely figure at the bottom of every economic, social and political indicator, from income and education to health to participation in decision-making," Ban said.

Recognizing the critical role and contribution of rural women, the theme of International Women's Day 2012 is Empower Rural Women - End Hunger and Poverty.

"Key contributors to global economies, rural women play a critical role in both developed and developing nations — they enhance agricultural and rural development, improve food security and can help reduce poverty levels in their communities. In some parts of the world, women represent 70 per cent of the agricultural workforce, comprising 43 per cent of agricultural workers worldwide," the UN said.