8th March was International Women’s Day. This day is identified as the day for the celebration of womanhood. It celebrates the life of those women who face hardships in life with their inner strength. Ayn Rand, Mother Teresa, Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt and many others led an exemplary life. They had to struggle and make difficult choices. In today’s context, from rags to riches life story of well known author J.K.Rowling is the most inspiring. For a progressive thinking woman, this day starts with family and close friends wishing her ‘Happy Women’s Day’. During the day her thumb goes numb replying to Women’s Day SMSs laden with choicest of quotes on ‘inherent strength of women’. Her colleagues both men and women walk in to her desk to wish her. Her mail box is full with emails from well wishers conveying ‘you mean a lot to me’. Feminists roll out their tired speeches on women’s rights. Perhaps a seminar or a lecture thrown in to motivate her to reach great heights completes the picture. After all, this is the appointed day for all humanity to shower their appreciation towards women around them. Men around her silently observe this hullabaloo and wonder ‘why no Men’s Day’. The day culminates with romantic dinner with boyfriend/ husband or a night out with girl friends where she is dressed in her best and giggles non stop over silly things. All through the day she is on cloud nine and her self esteem is sky high. She feels proud to be a woman. Not a single negative thought crosses her mind; suddenly she becomes aware of her capability to overcome any hurdle and emerge victorious.
…The day gone. This day is forgotten until the next Women’s Day.
Now it is back to the usual state of low self esteem and helplessness. The feelings of bitterness and envy again emerge out from undercover. Where have all her strengths, sacrifices and accomplishments gone? Don’t know where. The issues of gender bias, discrimination at home and work again make a home in her mind. Her multi tasking ability which was her strength till yesterday now becomes her lack of focus.
There are hundreds and thousands of women everywhere who continue to face and fight the small battles at work and home without knowing anything about Women’s Day. It’s a Women’s Day when there is equal pay for equal work and it’s not the gender but merit decides her growth path. It’s a Women’s Day when opportunities and avenues for growth are thrown open for all irrespective of gender; it is day of celebration when the birth of a girl is as big an occasion for rejoice as that of a boy. Isn’t it a women’s Day when she becomes aware of her strengths, when she is not forced to put up with domestic violence and has the courage to walk out of a bad marriage? When she comes out from the feeling of inadequacy and when the emotion of envy flies out from the window sill only to be replaced by a feeling of support and cooperation towards other women, is it not the day to celebrate? There is a new dawn for her when she thrashes her image of woman’s worst enemy to take the role of woman’s best friend.
Did anyone say men vs women? Success cannot be achieved by suppression but is a result of man woman synergy.
Happy Women’s Day to all you women out there! Let the feeling of Women’s Day linger on the entire year and not just for one single day.
…The day gone. This day is forgotten until the next Women’s Day.
Now it is back to the usual state of low self esteem and helplessness. The feelings of bitterness and envy again emerge out from undercover. Where have all her strengths, sacrifices and accomplishments gone? Don’t know where. The issues of gender bias, discrimination at home and work again make a home in her mind. Her multi tasking ability which was her strength till yesterday now becomes her lack of focus.
There are hundreds and thousands of women everywhere who continue to face and fight the small battles at work and home without knowing anything about Women’s Day. It’s a Women’s Day when there is equal pay for equal work and it’s not the gender but merit decides her growth path. It’s a Women’s Day when opportunities and avenues for growth are thrown open for all irrespective of gender; it is day of celebration when the birth of a girl is as big an occasion for rejoice as that of a boy. Isn’t it a women’s Day when she becomes aware of her strengths, when she is not forced to put up with domestic violence and has the courage to walk out of a bad marriage? When she comes out from the feeling of inadequacy and when the emotion of envy flies out from the window sill only to be replaced by a feeling of support and cooperation towards other women, is it not the day to celebrate? There is a new dawn for her when she thrashes her image of woman’s worst enemy to take the role of woman’s best friend.
Did anyone say men vs women? Success cannot be achieved by suppression but is a result of man woman synergy.
Happy Women’s Day to all you women out there! Let the feeling of Women’s Day linger on the entire year and not just for one single day.
