Happy International Women's Years Ahead!

Humankind recently celebrated International Women’s Day. Nothing unusual happened, as usual. It too had the nondescript 24 hours of misery but it symbolizes femininity and the beauty associated with it. So, net-net, it ought to be an important event on the calendar. Also, I too wanted to post something on that very day but procrastination has its way with me. Anyway, better late and now than later and never.

Let me remind you what you already know -- the true legend of fairer sex’s struggle for equality and gender prejudices prevalent in our quasi-modern society. Rural regions are even worse off than ours. Crime and age-old prejudices against women are never out of fashion. And the worst part is we are getting used to it. We shake our heads in premeditated disbelief whenever we read about untoward actions meted out against women, be it in any part of the world. But that’s that.

If you ask me (which you won’t!), I’d state that the sole objective of having an Int'l Women's Day is to check whether we, as human beings, can stay unsexist at least for a day or not. Sad as it is, we have designed a men-friendly world and one can only ponder if such a calamity was possible without women’s active participation. Think of the support and care one receives in the form of mother, grandmother, sister, wife, aunt and female friends. It’s an amazing case of working for your enemy’s interest. I know this might sound oh-so-feministic but things are bleak as always and whatever light we witness is hardly enough to dispel reality.

In an ideal world, we could have done without religion. Or at least, we would have dismantled the nexus of book-based faith. But that isn’t so. I find religion contemptuous because it has generally acted against womenfolk. If religion is genuine, then the possibility of God being misogynist must be true, too. Just look around yourself. Religious bodies want the womenfolk banished to the claustrophobic kitchen lest they rebel to demand what is rightfully theirs. Such societies fulfill their ulterior motives by denying them education. Illiteracy is rampant among girls in almost all listless countries and it’s quite easy to connect the hapless dots. Again, I must be sounding vain and pompous but then I’ve got a reputation to maintain and a futile argument to sustain.

Digressing over to the positive side, there are women who have made a place for themselves on this sexist planet mainly on the strength of their merit. It’s a healthy encouragement to see them on the pedestal of their respective fields. They are not only successful but also creating avenues for others. Fortunately, these are the women who inspire millions of little girls and fellow women to aspire to do something worthwhile with their life.

Closer home, we’ve got our mothers and grandmothers and sisters and all who by their selfless love and hardship keep us buoyant. We know we can’t thank them enough. Maybe that’s why we never thank them enough.