Prominent British feminist author and activist Ash Sarkar is renowned for her perceptive observations on societal issues, especially those that impact women. She highlights in one of her comments regarding International Women's Day (IWD) the significance of going beyond token festivities to address deeper problems that women face today.

Sarkar criticizes the excessive focus on commercial endeavors that trivialize IWD. She says that although it's simple and comfortable for companies to advertise goods like pajamas or pink beer, these actions don't address the issues that women face in the real world. These difficulties include legal obstacles such as the absence of gender-neutral passports and economic inequalities manifested in pay disparities.

She compares it to the difference between feeding the hungry and throwing a party at a fancy restaurant. Although they both partially address needs, only one really tackles the underlying problem, while the other only offers surface-level respite. According to her, real progress for women necessitates tackling structural problems that have a bigger influence on their day-to-day existence than transient festivities.

Sarkar emphasizes the necessity for International Women's Day to fulfill its original function of promoting women's rights rather than turning into a purely commercial occasion by arguing for a change in emphasis towards concrete concerns like equal pay and gender-neutral rights. This viewpoint pushes people and institutions to consider how they commemorate IWD and what they can do to encourage substantive social change.