- For the uninitiated, the International Women’s Day was officially and legitimately celebrated on 08th March 1975 under the auspices of the United Nations calling on the countries to proclaim the day honoring the women. The day is celebrated across the world to recognize women’s achievements, raise awareness about equality, lobby for accelerated gender parity, and fundraise for female-focused charities. This year’s theme for Women’s Day is Choose to Challenge. Of course, there is no denying that the Women have proved mettle in every conceivable field marching ahead with an impeccable list of achievements at par, if not more, with the opposite gender.
PC: Google Image
- History is replete with several instances where the women’s power has demonstrated time and again how they cannot be relegated and/or subjugated as inferior human beings in the overall scheme of things. As humanity evolved over the millennium, the role of women too underwent substantial alteration positioning the female gender as second to none when it comes to shouldering the responsibilities, hitherto the exclusive domain of menfolk. In the present-day world largely driven by mind-boggling technical advancements, the remarkable roleplay essayed by the women in forging ahead is awe-inspiring and worthy of complements/emulation.
- Erstwhile forceful exhortations of gender parity, equality in responsibilities, demarcation of roleplay based on gender, apprehensions about the suitability for certain positions, biased viewpoints questioning the abilities based on gender, and biased reservations favoring men have made way for women’s entry into a defining manner only after dithering for a long period. The progression conferring equal opportunity for women has been painfully slow reaching a semblance of parity only recently. There is still a phenomenally long way to traverse before women can lay claim to enjoying uniformity without bias and/or preconceived notions.
PC: workable
- A case in point is the Military establishment, hitherto the sole domain of men, that continues to embrace conventional wisdom rather than reflect present-day realities by partially opening for women in combat roles. India did join the few modern countries allowing for women to fly fighter planes very recently. In the context of our country, the continued preference for male children speaks volumes about how society is yet to evolve despite advancing arguments about extending gender equality. No need to look far away from the skewed sex ratio highlighting the society’s penchant for male progeny even as talks about equality gains traction yielding little in substance.
- Typically, patriarchic society prevalent in the country desists women from gaining more purchase and heft to carve out a niche. Though, the Nari Shakti is propagated with lots of fanfare where various forms of goddesses are worshipped with absolute devotion and reverence in the country, acceptance of women as equal partners in the nation-building still evades. So long as deprivation, inhuman treatment, safety, and security compromises, objectifying sexuality, inequalities in education/opportunities, absence of level-playing fields, and forceful suppression of voices exist, the true meaning of parity does make little sense. Let us all walk the talk for a change, please!
