On Monday, the 8th March, a number of my friends will post something on their social media networks to celebrate Womanhood or speak out against gender inequality. Yes! International Women’s Day makes it easy for young generation to put on their part-time activist t-shirts, ordinary people to get excited about Women’s rights, Media to make money with special programs, debates and brands to sell more! As the day approach, everywhere you see articles on women empowerment, feminism, women’s rights and so on… All these are like one-day matches, very interesting, sensational and talk of the town. The next day it kind of vanishes in air. We need to screw ourselves and think seriously on this.
It is bliss to be a woman. She is looked as an epitome of love, compassion, embraces all hardships just to keep her family and loved ones happy! But the irony is she is being denied of equal rights and opportunities as men. She has to really struggle hard to fight for her dignity she deserves. The respect that should come naturally is not even received even on demand!
When this is the situation prevailing even now, let me put forth an important question.
Why do we need an International Women’s Day? We, women comprise over half of population in the world, so why do we get our own day! Why is this special celebration, just for women?
In spite of being over half of the population, women are half of nothing!
Yes! Are we half of policy makers? No!
Are we half of corporate executives? Nope!
Or at least half of decision makers? Not even close!
But there is a lot of other ‘yes’s
Women do consist of half of world’s population in extreme poverty! We are well over half of the victims of domestic abuse, violence, and physical assault and rape.
These statistics are not worth celebrating. Let me make it clear, this is not about making men half of those horrible statistics; it’s about making world a better, safer place for all. I think “women issues should be looked as Human rights issues!”
Though women are increasingly holders of financial and economic clout and their consumer purchasing, investment and financial power are gradually rising, we need to work out on it more.
So, coming back to the question again, do we really need to celebrate International Women’s Day?
Well, we NEED it
- Because when this was first celebrated over 100 years ago, it brought few rights for women in every country throughout the world, including the right to vote.
- Because women all over the world are still far from achieving the true gender equality
- Because this year UN’s IWD theme is “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world“, celebrating the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.And above all
Because we are Women! Who have stood up against all odds, and will continue to until the idea of celebrating a day for women becomes obsolete!
Now isn’t this something to be celebrated! But let’s not forget to celebrate being a woman every day, every minute and every second.
scrambled words 