Each for Equal, theme for International Women’s Day!

By M.Y.Siddiqui

International Women’s Day is observed on March 8 every year to celebrate women’s rights. On this day, all countries all over the globe celebrate the achievements of women. First celebrated more than a century ago in 1911, International Women’s Day (IWD) is an opportunity to challenge stereotypes and channel efforts towards gender equality. Each year, organisers choose a new theme as a banner under which they can unify the directions of everyone’s efforts and help raise awareness. The 2020 IWD theme is “Each for Equal”, about the race towards gender equality, while smashing stereotypes along the way. Individually and collectively, we can choose actively to challenge stereotypes, fight biases, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women’s achievements.

                     Men-women together make wonderful combination for all round development throughout the world. Despite such overwhelming virtues of women with all their multi-tasking role in all round human development, their rightful representation in all human endeavours have been inadequate, right from cradle to the grave because of the preference of male over female child, the very prejudicial foundation continuing against women throughout their life. This cannot change without perceptible changes in the very mind set of people right from one’s childhood although on paper, in laws and the Constitution there is gender equality, which practically speaking is not there.

With the growing literacy, information explosion and knowledge economy in the globalized India, cry for gender justice has been ever increasing in the country for adequate representation in all segments of public administration, like education, health, government services, teachings, law enforcement agencies like police, security forces, armed forces, judiciary, corporate sector, trade, commerce, industry, civil society et al. There have been continuing efforts for gender justice in order to remove all types of prejudices against women. But dominance of patriarchy is continuing its fetter unabated. Men folks do not want their turf of power and pelf to be shared equally with women. That is why there has been inadequate representation of women in public services, police, armed forces, judiciary and board of directors of the corporate sector. In short, the representation of women in decision making processes has been negligible, making the gender justice elusive.

 Present NDA Union Government, an ardent supporter and believer in the Manusmirti, widely believed to be prejudicial to women and their subjugation, is least interested in the all-round gender justice, as can be seen in the ever-increasing crimes of violence and rapes by people in the Sangh Pariwar and the state machinery being misused in the overt and covert support of the accused of heinous crimes against women. Nevertheless, all is not lost. The way women power is growing, one hopes a time will come sooner than later when full boom gender justice will be attainable and women may have the last laugh. Gender justice is a sine qua non for equitable development of humans. With the current social churnings, one hopes gender justice is achievable.

Organisers of IWD maintain, the race is on for the gender equal government, gender equal board room, gender equal media coverage, gender equal work places, gender equal sports coverage, more gender equality in health and wealth. Let the world including India make it happen.!

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