Women’s day- a slightly different perspective

It’s the time of the year when we suddenly remember about gender equality and women empowerment. This is the problem with the designated days – international rose day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and more of their ilk! You only remember about the importance of these persons and objects on that particular day to merrily forget all about them for the remaining part of the year!

What happens during the rest of the year? A woman is beheaded by her father for eloping against his wishes! A woman makes a video prior to her suicide along with her young daughter clearly attributing the extreme step to unbearable attitude of her husband and in laws! Women are lasciviously ogled for wearing a hot dress, lambasted and boycotted ( if lucky not to be killed) for marrying outside caste or religion, ridiculed for joining “#Me Too” movement for certain acts perpetrated upon them way back in the past, discriminated, if not exploited at the workplace, criticised for being career oriented at the cost of homemaking et al !

If I cite here examples of an auto driver’s daughter being crowned Miss India or Zoya Agarwal commandeering an all women crew to the world’s longest flight over North Pole or Bhawana Kanth, the first woman fighter pilot or Shila Dawre, the first woman auto rickshaw driver or Shital Gawande , bus conductor in BEST or Dr Mazijiya Bhanu, a hijab clad powerlifter from Kerala and many more , it would sound so very cliched for that again will tantamount to a discrimination !

If Ganga, our earth, cow and all such reverential objects are feminine and we are Devi poojaks, we shall have to stop getting astonished at women achievers, provide the best and equal opportunities to our daughters, sisters and wives ( and even mothers – a mother passing her class 12th examining in late 60s us awe inspiring) and stop citing examples of Ma Durga, Mother Mary, Mother Earth, Mother India, Mother Teresa, Mata Nanaki or Fatima as prelude to respecting women. Women have to be respected for being one of the halves, two of which make a human being.

That will be a true spirit of celebrating women’s day not only on the 8th of March but on each day of the year bereft of any cliches!

Happy Women’s day!