Woman’s day…Do I still need it?
I am not a big fan of the idea of celebrating woman’s day. It immediately makes me feel like I don’t belong.
Aren’t we all Humans??A man and a woman are an equal part of this Universe. One cannot exist without the other.
We celebrate Christmas because Jesus Christ was born on that day. We celebrate Diwali on Lord Rama’s victorious return from Lanka.These and many such festivals are celebrated because of some saints or reformers birth or a victory or a start of a harvest etc.
So why woman’s day?
Well 8th March is known as United Nations day for women’s rights and international peace where we celebrate women’s achievements throughout history.
Fair enough.
But was there one particular woman achiever who changed the world born on this date?
There are many such women and I understand we can’t celebrate each of their birthdays but then I also realize …..there is no Rani Laxmibai Jayanti or Dr Anandibai Joshi day; the first female doctor qualified to practice western medicine which she studied at the women’s medical college in Pennsylvania in the year 1886.
I even understand that we still need such a day because women in different parts of the world are treated differently than their male counterpart.
Why are they treated differently?
Is it because her body structure is different ,more delicate than her male counterpart?
That could be the only reason ,cause her mind or her thinking capabilities are equal to any male or even better sometimes.
Or is it because woman have the infinite capacity to balance everything in life from personal relationships to career to every aspect that needs attention and care and this is usually taken for granted.
So women I ask you this.
Have we drawn this upon ourselves?
Is it because we don’t speak up for ourselves or for other women?
I came across some of these women from the 18th century and the early 19th century whose legacy if we would have followed,we would have been in a different world altogether.
I already mentioned Dr Anandibai Joshi
Another such lady was Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar.
She was crowned the queen of a small kingdom called Malwa whose capital is now Indore after the death of her husband.
She reigned her kingdom for 30 years displaying excellent leadership qualities, being a just and able ruler ;protecting her kingdom from invaders, taking care of the homeless at the same time making positive changes in her kingdom like building good roads, schools ,temples etc
A politician, a leader, a trained ruler and a visionary.
Another such revolutionary and social reformer was Savitribai Phule.She is hailed as India’s first modern feminists. She and her husband Jyotirao Phule were the first to start a school for girls in India.
She also started the Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha for pregnant rape victims and widows.
Why I mention this among all her other achievements is because this was in the mid 1800s where woman still went sati and if they didn’t ,young widows were raped and then ostracized for being promiscuous and she had the gumption to start such a care center at such a time and era.
We are still a part of this hypocritical society but I won’t blame men alone because women are equally responsible for not supporting their kind.
Mentioned above are only a few known women of the 18th century India (I have not even gone international yet) among others who were great leaders, warriors, administrators, reformers and visionaries.
Why these woman? Because they were the pioneer of modern Indian woman.
If we women would have picked up from where they left their legacies, we wouldn’t still be celebrating a separate woman’s day.
They set up for us an example. But we failed them.
Looks like we turned more regressive instead of being progressive in our thoughts and actions.
And to all the men
We are women. Not aliens.
We are the other half (I am not even claiming to be the better one)
We are the Yin with a little bit of yang
I am you and you are me.
That’s it.
The fact that I still after all these centuries have to assert my rights or justify my EXISTENCE as a woman; irks me to no extent.
And to all the women
‘You make Broken look beautiful and strong look invincible.
You walk with the Universe on your shoulder and make it look like a pair of wings
Celebrate being a woman everyday’ -Anonymous
-Prachi.K (Elanisque)