Listen Women–1

Today is International Women's Day and there's a lot being said about the achievements and glory of women, there are inspiring stories, the world is singing praises for all the things that women do. They are acknowledging the importance and vitality of women all over the world. And at the same time there is a wave of disgust and anger, owing to the crimes and violence against women. The irony of dedicating a day to them while making their lives hell is rather stark. And as always, a lot is being said about it. 

However, there is a lot more to the lot discussed about issue of 'Women's Empowerment'. I couldn't help but mention what Bhakti Sharma, the sarpanch of a village in Bhopal said in a recent interview and it really clicked, she says that women don't need equality, only justice. That is all we want from the world, equality or non equality, inferiority or superiority will automatically be established once there is justice. So that is one thing I totally relate to, and I'm sure every woman will too. Women may not even realize this need for justice, as they are raised and conditioned to be submissive, stay in certain limits, confine themselves to certain professional choices, behave in a certain way. They think this is how its meant to be, and this perception and impression, they pass on to the next generations as well.

There's another misconception when it comes to women's empowerment and that is, being empowered means not following one's traditions or going against them. Well that's nowhere near the definition of empowerment. In fact, our culture and traditions help us identify and improve ourselves and not hinder our progress.

There is another misinterpretation regarding the concept of empowerment. It is often considered to be achieved or attained only by stepping out of the house, and women managing the household often look down upon their own self. This is so wrong. The fact is, it requires immense capacity, wisdom and patience to manage a household, and to attend to family's needs and requirements. One needs a lot of discipline, hardwork, planning and what not in taking care of a house and the people living in it. And then there are women who manage both their house and their jobs, they are the real warriors. But, all the intelligence and competence that it takes to run a household, is mostly, or rather always underestimated. 

So, who is to blame for this? Well to some extent, women themselves. They are their own culprits. They think lowly of themselves for managing the household and the family. They tend to look down upon themselves just because they are 'women', that's appalling, but real. An old colleague of mine once said that women must empower themselves and not wait for others to do so. Take it upon yourself to feel empowered, rather than wait for the world to hand it over to you. She aptly remarked that, no one will stand for you unless you do it for yourself.

So, this Women's Day, all I want to say is, listen women! Do not seek equality, seek justice. Do not wait for anyone else to empower you, rather empower yourself. 

Do share your thoughts and suggestions on the issue of empowerment in the comments. 

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