Happy Women's Day

Ideally wanted to post this on women’s day but couldn’t.

The way of life in an IT industry is to first check your official mail account and then do whatever you want to. Most of the mails were screaming HAPPY WOMEN’S DAY and the rest of the day was similar. I was half jobless that day and the women’s day mails flowed throughout either congratulating or asking the women folk to celebrate the supposed to be joyous day. I wondered why is there so much pomp and celebrations for this when 80% of the women in this world don’t even know of its existence. Women in remote villages of India, women in Africa where rape is used as a weapon in war, women in south east Asian countries living in abject poverty etc would probably consider this day – if they probably ever heard about it- as a DREAM or FANTASY which is supposed to mean liberation/freedom/the right to live by other women folk around the world. We are living in a world where women are killed for the sake of honor, used as objects and thrown, trafficked, subject to domestic violence – How does the existence of all these let people come up with the idea of celebrating when majority of the women are still oppressed?

For a moment let’s forget about the women who aren’t aware of Women day. What about us who know about it and are yet not free to do so many basic activities which I consider the right to live – walking at midnight for a 10-15 min peaceful stroll, traveling without the escort of the male clan, or let’s just think of walking on the road without being ogled at or eve teased.

I hope that this day instead of being reserved for merely congratulating or holding some celebrations with meaningless talks is used to give hope to - some of those who don’t get a chance to be born, for those who slog it out in the hope that the male clan will take care of them someday, for those who are married off to settle family feuds, for those who are denied the basic education rights and for those who wish to live free.