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Like every year on International Women’s Day, Whatsapp and social media have been graced by forwarded greetings that range from the bizarre to the downright patronizing.
Like every year, International Women’s Day has come and gone, and like every year Whatsapp and social media have been graced by forwarded greetings that range from the bizarre to the downright patronizing. Let’s have a look at some of my favourite ones, shall we?
Are you even a woman if you’re not nice all the time? Unlikeable women…what are those?
And if you’re not serving men by being their mother, daughter, sister, etc. what is the point of you existing?
Are you burying your emotions, smiling through your tears and making sacrifices to please everyone around you? Great! You’re certified worth celebrating!
Of course, you have to be giving, caring, sharing, supporting and understanding. That is basically the job description of women! Men don’t do all this!
If anyone figures out what this one means, please let me know!
To clarify, I have no problems with the people who sent me these messages. They are all lovely people and I know they meant well and that they genuinely wanted to wish me the best. I’m glad that they thought of me! Thank you!
This sort of messaging is not the fault of any one person. The problem is that the original message of International Women’s Day has been watered down to such an extent, that it has become a commercialized celebration, instead of being a reminder of the struggle that it actually is.
The story of Women’s Day is a story of protest and struggle. The Socialist Party of America first designated the 28th of February as National Woman’s Day in the US, in honour of the 1908 garment workers’ strike in New York, where women protested against working conditions. In 1910, The Socialist International, meeting in Copenhagen, established an International Women’s Day, to honour the movement for women’s rights and to build support for achieving universal suffrage for women. In 1913- 1914 Women’s Day also became a protest against the World War. On March 8th, 1917, women textile workers in Petrograd began a demonstration which marked the beginning of the Russian Revolution. Women in St Petersburg went on strike to demand an end to the First World War and Russian Food Shortages. And then, in 1975, International Women’s Year, the United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day on 8 March.
It is disappointing to see that what is a reminder of a revolution and a call for action to dismantle unjust systems has been reduced to mere lip service that regurgitates the same old stereotypical images and expectations of women. Rather than becoming a tool to celebrate women’s individuality, it has become a reminder that society still thinks of women only as mothers, sisters, daughters etc.
I do not mean to say that women or their achievements should not be celebrated. I myself wished many of my friends a Happy Women’s day. I am not asking for it to be a day of mourning or a day of anger. Let it be a happy day, by all means!
All I ask is that we be careful the next year about the messages we send out. That we consider if they celebrate women as individuals and for their achievements, instead of for being nice or for being our relatives. And let’s be honest – feminism that is not inclusive of transpeople and those who identify as non-binary, etc. is an incomplete feminism. Let’s make the celebration more inclusive!
There is a lot still left to fight for. From widespread and urgent issues like gender-based violence, better healthcare facilities, equal pay etc; to cultural issues like gender roles, representation in media, etc. there are many more things that need our attention. Let us use Women’s Day to raise awareness and create a momentum for change.
Let us take back International Women’s Day from the corporations that seek to profit from it and make it ours again!
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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