Page 145 - Sanidhya 2025

O’ Womaniya!

The country celebrated International Women’s Day on 8th
of March with great fervor across the country. At some
places, the enthusiasm even escalated into a frenzy, with M.Waheeda
Asstt. Comdt (Min)
many business houses and the beauty & cosmetic
industries cashing in on this newfound fad.

The social media was flooded with messages glorifying
women power and her multi-tasking abilities & her sacrific- Or are we just indulging in a one-day spectacle year after
ing nature, women employees were felicitated for their year, conveniently ignoring the everyday struggles of
contributions to their respective organizations, politicians women that remain sadly unchanged?
used the occasion to woo women voters. Some offices
hosted celebrations—parties were thrown, cakes were cut, The question which naturally follows is, “Who is Responsi-
bouquets and gifts were distributed, and women-centric ble for this?”
games and activities were organized. And then? Then, the
day ended, and everything went back to square one. As I ponder, I feel enough of pointing out the problems
and de-glorifying the male species, as if they alone are
Amidst all this din and noise, the real essence of Women’s responsible for making India unsafe for women.
Day was lost. Very few seemed to actually know as to why
this day exists in the first place—the struggles of American O’ Womaniya, think deeper, who is really responsible for
women who fought for equal rights, better working this?
conditions, and fair wages. It was their fight that laid the
foundation for the rights and opportunities that women in Look within. We are! Shocking, isn’t it?
most developed and developing countries have today.
Well, now, don’t gawk at me. It’s time for us, as women, to
Yet, after all the grand celebrations, speeches, resolutions, acknowledge our role in shaping the world we live in. We
promises for betterment of the lives of women, I wonder— are the ones who bring the male species into this world
has anything really changed in India? (yes, with a little contribution from them—a single cell so
microscopic that it’s 60 thousandths of a centimeter long
Will there be no more rapes? and is called the sperm!). And in India, the upbringing of a
No more brides burned for dowry? child—especially in their most impressionable years—is
No more unborn girls silenced before they take their first largely in the hands of the mother.
breath?
Will a woman in India finally be able to step out alone at So, let’s ask ourselves:
night and feel safe?
Are we raising our sons to respect women?
In a country where: Are we setting an example for our sons?

A woman’s accidentally visible bra strap makes men shift If you allow yourself to be disrespected by your spouse,
uncomfortably in their seats... Menstrual periods are chances are your son will grow up believing that it’s
spoken about in hushed tones, as if they were something acceptable to disrespect girls/women.
shameful...
A woman wearing clothes of her choice is enough to label We must teach our boys, from a young age, that girls are
her an attention seeker... their equals—not objects of fascination or control. Let your
son buy sanitary pads for his mother, sister, cousin or a
Can we really say we are celebrating women? friend. He should be able to walk into a shop and ask for
them as confidently as he would for any other medical