Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta – Women across the world rallied for equal rights, protection against domestic violence and for greater awareness of growing poverty as they marked International Women's Day on Sunday.

Thousands of women staged rallies in Jakarta and other cities across the country such as Surabaya, Denpasar, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Makassar, and Manado, mainly calling for female legislative candidates to be given a fair chance in the upcoming elections.

Advocates for the occasion marched from the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle to the Constitutional Court before winding up at the Presidential Palace.

They protested a recent ruling by the court which activists view as a blow to equal opportunities for women in parliament.

They demanded the government, the House of Representatives and the General Elections Commission issue regulations supporting a 30 percent participation rate for women in parliament.

"International Women's Day is very important as Indonesian women are facing a huge challenge ahead of us with the elections approaching soon," Masruchah, the secretary general of the Indonesian's Women Coalition for Equality and Justice, said.

Without support and determination, many women's activists believe the current 11 percent of seats of female members of the House would be unlikely to increase.