FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024
Arlette Azavedo
Women’s Day means different things for different people, while some believe it is futile to celebrate just one day and not care for their emotions for the rest of the year, others believe the celebrations are important to remind women of their power and importance.
Well, I personally think it shouldn’t be restricted to a one-day celebration as being a woman is a special thing, isn’t? Celebrating, appreciating and respecting that shouldn’t be confined to one day of the year, if so, it’s a big farce. Truly, as we celebrate Women’s Day, it is indeed important to show gratitude to all the women. It is a day where ordinary women are makers of history; it is rooted in the centuries-old struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men. I believe that without a woman, a man is nothing (sorry guys) but it’s a fact, as without a woman, the world would not be worth living in.
A daughter, sister, friend, wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother are the different roles a woman gets to portray and she carries them all simultaneously with confidence. There is nobody quite like a woman. A woman has always been an integral part of the society as the hand that rocks the cradle; is the hand that rules the world. She has moved from the back seat into the board room. She is no longer 'just a typist' but walks shoulder to shoulder with men in all fields. Women are in space, in aircrafts, on ships and yet with all that they manage a home with the same efficiency. She is the inspirer, the motivator, a consultant, a guide and with her single-minded dedication she makes sure that whatever she touches turns to gold.
Blessed with patience, will-power and the capability, women make the best homemakers and they can very well manage their work, simultaneously. She may be an entrepreneur but at the same time she plays the role of a daughter, sister, wife, mother with equal ease. When women are capable of handling both household chores as well as the responsibilities of business, why should they be subdued? Even today men are given more value than women in some parts of the world. Why should there be discrimination between men and women, then? Today's women are independent, career-oriented, strong-willed and capable balancing both office and their home-life with ease, juggling day to day schedules.
The 'Crown of Creation' bestowed upon 'Woman' cannot be measured by gold or gems. Her value far outweighs the most precious of them. Her virtues cannot be purchased. It is indeed, nice to know that women are occasionally being recognized and given their due respect, but is it truly so? Are women genuinely appreciated, loved and cared for? Are women treated with equality? It saddens me to say that the answer is, "NO". This is evident from the ghastly dowry, rape, torture and murder cases that we come to know across daily in the media. This is evident from the still ongoing social evils of child marriage, selling the girl child, forced marriages to aged men, etc. The list of women’s suffering is endless. It is sad but true.
Our society, which considers itself modern, is still backward. Apparently, an adolescent girl child is considered a burden even today who is sold/married to an elderly man for money, are we doing anything about this? If a human life is considered precious and priceless, is a girl/woman worth some petty money, then? Have humans forgotten that it is women who have given them birth and life, it is women who have undergone infinite pains to bring them up, it is women who have wiped their tears and encouraged them to come up in their lives, it is the same women who are their mothers.
The empowerment of women is directly connected to the family, society and in turn to the development of the country. The cruelty with women is very painful, for her and her family and also shameful for society and country. There should be a positive change in attitude of man, society, religion and government so that woman can be given a fair chance to develop without any fear. Hence, Late Pt Jawaharlal Nehru aptly said "You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women".
