Here we are! It’s women’s day and we’ve reached 2022. If I could share a progress report on the situation of women, I would, but let’s look at a few direct facts.
Crimes against women in 2021 have been reported at an alarming rate of more than 370,000 cases. There’s a whole disturbing figure behind the cases that were charge-sheeted, among which just a few of the accused were convicted. And, these figures are counted among the cases that were reported. There are still unreported cases, and probably never to be known.
How do we celebrate Women’s Day when we find people turning a blind eye towards the injustices done against women? From centuries of patriarchal rule to this day, ranging from the cruelty of the Nirbhaya case to the Hathras murder, the humiliation of a girl child to young women being harassed; where does it stop??
Will hashtags and slogans only remain a trend?
Are the hashtags like #BreakTheBias or #SeeHer and the likes only going to remain hashtags? Or, are we in this to make a real change?
Indeed, these hashtags and countless slogans remind us where we stand, what we’re up against, and the way ahead. But, once the 8th March moves on to the 9th March, and so on – we leave this day behind us like we do every year.
At the outset, there are a few upright men who stand by us and raise their voices against injustice and cruelty. At the same time, some refuse to raise their voices with the excuse that violence against women has been going on for centuries. How can doing anything now make a difference?
The decision to take action, or stand up for ourselves comes from within, and that passion has to grow. It has to come out from where we realize that enough is enough, now more than ever. Hashtags and slogans can bring the word out there, but a word simply remains a word unless action is applied through our idea of justice.
This women’s day, let’s hope to be more mindful of the way we nurture our self-belief. Let’s break the routine concept of how a woman is perceived. Indeed, she is a mother, a daughter, a sister, a wife, and whatever role is thrust upon her. However, before all of this, she is an individual who belongs to herself before anyone else.