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International Women’s Day
Gandhiji said, ‘Intellectually,
mentally, and spiritually, woman is equivalent to a male
and she can participate in every activity."
From Sita in Ramayana to Kannagi in Silapathikaram to
Rani Jhansi are not only celebrated women but also their
contribution to social change and awareness had been
immense. Even Ramakrishnaparmahamsar is said to have
worshipped his wife.
Gender is western concept. India is the original home of
the Mother Goddess. women in India have always been
honored and respected.
Article 14 of the constitution accords equality for both
genders.
India has led the world in ratifying UN Conventions and
international covenants like the Convention for the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW) and the Beijing Platform for Action.
Only in India Woman is worshipped as Sakthi [Strength],
Saraswathy [Knowledge] and Lakshmi [Prosperity]. No
other country or religion in the world worships women
hood in the way India does. In Hindu Mythology women is
said to have been given absolutely 50% of Mental,
Spiritual and physical space in the life of a man, when
Shiva is illustrated to have done this in
Arthnareeswarar form.
India is fortunate to have had many great women -
Auvaiyar, Annie Besent , First women president of Indian
national Congress, Nevedita, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, First
Indian Woman President of UN General Assembly, Mother
Teresa, Sarojini Naidu to Indira Gandhi only the second
woman Prime Minster in the world, to Kalpana Chawla,
Indra Nooyi to Pratibha Patil first women President of
India and many more in the Indian Corporate sector who
have proved to be more than a match . Their contribution
to society in whole and to Women in Particular is
invaluable.
In Modern Indian society women are playing stellar role,
even challenging the males in Politics. More importantly
their role in family building, society development is
stupendous. Indian woman is emerging out of their
conventional role, realizing their unlimited potential
and have begun to take major role in all walks of life.
Indian woman is beautiful, gentle, motherly yet
powerful. Indian society look upto their women folk to
take the lead, which is slowly happening. When India
becomes a superpower, surely there will be significant
contribution from great women
International Women's Day has been observed since in the
early 1900's,
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History
of International Women’s Day:
International Women's Day has
been observed since in the early 1900's,
1908
: Great
unrest and critical debate was occurring amongst women. In
1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding
shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.
1909
: In accordance with a
declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first
National Woman's Day (NWD) was observed across the United
States on 28 February. Women continued to celebrate NWD on
the last Sunday of February until 1913.
1910 :
1910 a second International Conference of Working
Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named a Clara
Zetkin
1911 :
Following the decision agreed at Copenhagen in
1911, International Women's Day (IWD) was honoured the first
time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19
March. More than one million women and men attended IWD
rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be
trained, to hold public office and end discrimination.
However less than a week later on 25 March, the tragic
'Triangle Fire' in New York City took the lives of more than
140 working women, most of them Italian and Jewish
immigrants. This disastrous event drew significant attention
to working conditions and labor legislation in the United
States that became a focus of subsequent International
Women's Day events. 1911 also saw women's 'Bread and Roses'
campaign.
1913-1914 : On the eve of World War I campaigning
for peace, Russian women observed their first International
Women's Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. In 1913
following discussions, International Women's Day was
transferred to 8 March and this day has remained the global
date for International Women’s Day ever since. In 1914.
1917 :
On the last Sunday of February, Russian women
began a strike for "bread and peace" in response to the
death over 2 million Russian soldiers in war. Opposed by
political leaders the women continued to strike until four
days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the
provisional Government granted women the right to vote. The
date the women's strike commenced was Sunday 23 February on
the Julian calendar then in use in Russia. This day on the
Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere was 8 March.
1918 -
1999 : Since its birth in the socialist movement,
International Women's Day has grown to become a global day
of recognition and celebration across developed and
developing countries alike.
2000
and beyond : IWD is now an official holiday in
China, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia,
Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. The tradition
sees men honoring their mothers, wives, girlfriends,
colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some
countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day
where children give small presents to their mothers and
grandmothers.
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