Feminism isn’t about making women strong; she already has that innate strength, and it’s about the world recognizing it.
Going back in time, International Women’s Day (IWD) grew out of the labour movement to become an annual event recognised by the United Nations. The seeds were planted in 1908 when 15,000 women gathered on the streets of New York demanding better working conditions for themselves, including shorter working hours, better pay and the right to vote. In 1909, the Socialist Party of America declared the first National Woman’s Day. Since then, we have been celebrating the Day each year on March 8 and commemorating women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. Women’s Day aims to spread the message of gender equality and make a better society where there is no gender bias.
IWD theme for 2022 is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow.” #BreakTheBias focuses on creating a world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination and creating gender equality in workplaces, communities, schools and more.
According to United Nations, women are increasingly recognised as more vulnerable to climate change impacts than men. They constitute the majority of the worlds poor and are more dependent on the natural resources that climate change threatens the most. At the same time, women and girls are practical and influential leaders and change-makers for climate adaptation and mitigation. They are involved in sustainability initiatives worldwide, and their participation and leadership result in more effective climate action.
Bottlenecks
Despite her playing an incredible role across industries, managing and balancing home and work fronts, she still fights for her rights for equal salary as her men counterparts. Subjected to more mental, emotional and physical abuse, she comes across a glass ceiling while she charters her life and nurtures her dreams. Though it seems the glass ceiling gradually is chipping but would take another few decades to start shattering.
Interestingly, if she decides to make her choices, take decisions based on her priorities, comes back home late or decides to take time out to travel, is it all taken in a stride? Is she judged or carries the guilt for keeping herself first? For us all, across genders, here could be food for thought to ponder on, the practice of #equality in its most authentic core.
It’s not about only him to blame or tag as unfair, as a woman, even she has not been able to break away from old beliefs and societal patterns engrained in her from generations. Seeking validation from her patriarchal lineage and others has been weighing her down, without which she confines in self-doubt. “My I enough or my I doing right.”
The new work norm
Work from Home (WFH), the new norm, seems to have given a mixed flavour to most. On the one hand, it’s saving time and effort to go to the office, WFH has also taken away ‘me’ time from her. Back home, while she attends office work, she cannot ignore household chores waiting for her attention or she is expected to do. The pre-determined demarcation of roles and gender dynamics of conditioning for years has made post-pandemic households disturbed of their equilibrium in most families. Even the roles in raising children are pre-determined, she gets a greater share there too and she lovingly embraces it all.
Let’s celebrate life each day; after all, it’s fragile and being spiritual beings. All of us are going through a human experience; cut upon the gender bias to build a community of togetherness, complementing not competing with the other spiritual being of light.