International Women’s Day: Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow.

Since historic times, women in India have found a prominent place in society as evidenced in the artistic expressions depicted through paintings, murals, art, culture, iconography and so also in scriptures, which depict women’s power, importance, and reverence that Indian society has bestowed on women.

One of the oldest reference, which advances women’s position in Indian society can be traced back to the iconic dancing girl cast in bronze, which was sculpted at Mohenjo-Daro during the Harappa period. Harappa civilisation has also revealed many more evidence that has represented women in paintings, terracotta figurines, sculptures, gold figurines etc. These material evidence indicate that women had a life beyond the confines of the four walls of their home and they enjoyed a social status. It is also believed that the Mother Goddess - from the findings of Harappa - is an ancient version of Devi Lakshmi from Hindu religious beliefs. This tradition of representation of women and their reverence in society has continued for centuries from the Harappa times, which is evidenced all across India in temple art, architecture and iconography.

A shloka from the Manusmriti, exemplifies the reverence that women enjoyed in Indian society; “Yatra naryastu pujyante ramante tatra Devata, yatraitaastu na pujyante sarvaastatrafalaah - meaning where Women are honoured, divinity blossoms, and where women are dishonoured, all action, no matter how noble, remain unfruitful. Unfortunately, although there is so much of a material evidence to suggest high stature of women in Indian society, yet it is paradoxical that women continue to face discrimination in our modern society. The situation so grim that even in the third decade of the twenty first century (2022) women have to demand for gender equality, which should have been a given by now, but unfortunately it is not. Notwithstanding the legal provisions, preference for a boy child is rampant in India, which also leads to female foeticide and discrimination by family members. It is in this context that commemorating the International Women’s Day makes sense and reinforces the need for introspection.

International Women’s Day (IWD), commemorated globally on this day- 8^th March -  is an important occasion for the global community to commit towards attaining the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, in which gender equality is one of the important goals. Therefore, it is no wonder that the theme for this year’s IWD is “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow”. This year the IWD is celebrated with a beautiful universal campaign ‘Break The Bias’, which reminds me of a similar highly successful all India campaign, which was launched on August 15, 1988. After the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, finished his address to the nation from the Red Fort, a soulful melody took the nation by storm. For most Indians who watched the broadcast on Doordarshan, the opening lines of “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, Sur bane Humhara” sung by the legendary Hindustani classical vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi continue to stand the test of time. Hopefully, this year’s IWD and the theme and its slogan touch the same chord that the Pundit Bhimsen Joshi’s eponymous “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara” touched us all in the years ahead and help in advancing the rights of the women’s issues for a gender-equal world: a world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination.

The genesis for the struggle for equal rights by women began in the early 1900s. The oppression and inequality were pushing women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. Looking back in history, it was on this very day – 8^th March - in 1908 that the women labours movement started as a united march in which some 15000 women marched in an organised way through the New York City demanding shorter working hours and better pay and right to vote for women, who until then were treated unequally not just in US, but globally.  Encouraged by the response that the women’s march received, the Socialist Party of America joined hands and demanded for declaring the day as the National Woman's Day. The idea to convert this day into an international women’s day came from Clara Zetkin, leader of the Women’s Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, who tabled the idea of an International Women's Day during the International Conference of Working Women held in Copenhagen in 1910. She proposed that every year in every country, there should be a celebration on the same day to press for change. The conference was attended by more than 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties and working women’s clubs and thus was born the International Women's Day was born.

In the very next year, 1911, this day was celebrated as the Women’s day in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. However, it was only in 1975 that the United Nations (UN) acknowledged and started celebrating this day as International Women’s Day. Unfortunately, women have always faced discrimination through centuries and the discrimination has spanned all areas of women’s lives and that includes my own field - science, as well. The women, through the centuries, have been afraid of social stigma in case they complained of discrimination or harassment and therefore they have preferred to remain silent both at home and in workplace. The social fabric of many countries, including India, have been biased against women.  Notwithstanding this inequality there are many exemplary women who have made profound contributions in every field - sports, science and technology, art, defence, medical, engineering, social sciences, political and what not. For increasing the participation of women it is incumbent that on we all join hands to promote education of girls and create that indomitable spirit in them to succeed in the field that they chose to pursue and help them in making themselves a priority of their own lives. We must create an ambience where women will learn to say No to all that is unfavourable to them and boldly face the challenges of life.

Today as we celebrate the International Women’s Day it is time to recall those extraordinary women of substance and indomitable spirit who have made their mark and have distinguished themselves admirably. Take for example Marie Curie, one of the greatest of scientists who has won two Nobel Prizes - one in Physics which she shared with her husband and one in Chemistry. She should be one of the icons whose trials and tribulations, before attaining her extraordinary achievements, even in times of extreme gender insensitivity, must become an inspiration to our youngsters. The COVID 19 pandemic has impacted the world and even in these trying times the medical doctors and health workers have played a stellar role in saving millions of lives. Speaking of health workers one must not forget the Nurses (Sisters) whose selfless service has been exemplary. The year 2020, when the COVID pandemic started, was the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the par excellence nurse. On the occasion of her the bicentennial birth anniversary, the year 2020 was befittingly declared as the ‘International Year of the Nurse and Midwife’ by the World Health Organisation. There are innumerable other women who have made such extraordinary contributions to human society.

In the field of sciences FRS is a coveted fellowship, which has 400 plus years of history and some of the greatest of scientists - Newton, Einstein, Darwin, CV Raman, Srinivas Ramanujan etc are all FRS. A couple of years ago Dr Gagandeep Kang, one of the leading microbiologist of India, was elected to this coveted fellowship. Prof. Kang is a physician scientist, who for many years worked as a Professor of Microbiology and Head of the Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences and the Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory at the Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore. Prof. Kang has made pivotal contributions to understanding the natural history of rotavirus infections as well as other enteric infections, which are important causes of mortality and morbidity in India. She was also involved in the development of vaccines. Similarly, we have many more examples of extraordinary women achiever’s in India in almost all the fields. Women in India have donned almost all the key positions Prime Minister, and President included. Women have excelled in sports, particularly in Olympics where they have won many medals for India. We now have women who are heading Space missions as project directors and are involved in satellite launches and so also in missile launches. Women are now flying the fighter planes and are excelling in every field that men have had their dominance for centuries.

Does this mean that it is an equal world that offers equal opportunities for women, unfortunately not, rather it is far from it. Yet, women have achieved excellence and for this they have had to perform many times more efficiently than men, which is a hard reality in many parts of the world - India included, where women play multiple roles, as home makers, mother, wife and as a successful professional and that too in an unequal society. Women have made profound contributions in social, economic, cultural and political life of the country and today as we celebrate the IWD it is time to salute women who are contributing to the society in equal measures and remember some of distinguished women like Madam Curie, Sarojini Naidu, Indira Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher, Kalpana Chawla and many more including the unsung heroes like Roslyn Franklin, Margret Hutchinson and many more whose extraordinary contributions have gone unheralded.

This is the day to salute womanhood and propagate against gender discrimination, domestic violence and to empower them to excel in all walks of life. It is also the day we must reverentially remember that women have been bestowed with that God gifted power of motherhood, a natural gift of multitasking and consensus building, which have enabled women to become transformational leaders in their own right.  

On this occasion, I would like to appeal to all young girls to persevere to excel and look up to those innumerable women achiever’s as your role model and demand and command respect in an unequal society and hope that the theme for the IWD - Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow will truly be a reality sooner than later. Jai Nari Shakti Jai Hind.

Wishing you all a very happy IWD.