The fact that we need to celebrate Women’s Day portends that all is not well in a women’s world. Or else why would we need to single out a day for millions of women who have equal rights and status in the world they inhabit. We don’t have a men’s day which is evidence enough that all is hunky dory with their race.
The UN theme for International Women's Day 2013 is "A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women," while International Women's Day 2013 has declared the year's theme as The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum. But then is it really gaining momentum?
As we celebrate Women’s Day today a woman is probably being raped in our rape capital i.e. Delhi or any other place for that matter. As we uphold the greatness of womanhood today, hundreds of women are being persecuted by family or acquaintances in some part of the world. We are called the fairer but weaker sex, from times immemorial we have been termed as “frail” we have been generalized in literature with the phrase ”Frailty thy name is women.” Of the hundreds of days in a calendar year why should only a single day be reserved for the ‘other half’ of the male counterparts?
Officially, International Working Women's Day, is marked on March 8 every year all over the world with the main idea being the general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and social achievements. And how do we celebrate the day allotted to us -- the so called emancipated women would probably hit a disco or a pub and celebrate her new found financial freedom and dance the night away, women organizations would mark the day with meetings replete with idealistic speeches and as the day would draw to an end so would all the tall claims about the proposed measures of women emancipation.
They say times have changed and we live in an era of women emancipation albeit urban women. Education, exposure to the work culture, a new age perspective has brought in a new age of enlightenment. A freedom of thought, expression, financial independence all has contributed towards moulding a stronger and positive women. Or has it?
Despite the “emancipation” women are still criticized for the dresses they were or the way they conduct themselves in general. If a woman is eve teased or molested the society is quick to blame her instead of the man. When it comes to single women our society is quick to point fingers at her and are blind and deaf towards the problem they face. If one is single we bully her to tie the knot, if married we are unusually eager to push her into motherhood. Why is society so intrusive into a women’s life?
But then every year we do not forget to carry out the farce of celebrating the spirit of womanhood. We just talk the talk and as the day ends we turn our back to their problems and go back to being their persecutors.
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