Tomorrow is Woman's Day. Now is the time when many people try to show their respect for Women. Men and Women alike post videos and articles about how celebrated women should be. They are after all the Martyrs that sacrifice their life and hope and ambitions. For what? To be a dutiful wife, mother and daughter in law. And what do they expect in return, your respect, your acknowledgement, your time! But yet you want to watch your favorite sport on TV, or belittle their art, or sleep in on a Sunday! How sacrilegious of you to not notice her martyrdom!
Every year there is that one video, one Chetan Bhagat open letter or one picture that makes it to everyone's facebook page, or whatsapp group. There is one such video this year as well. Unfortunately it drives me up the wall. It shows me how little we think of women. How we have not moved forward at all over all these years! What is Woman's day about? Is it a day to thank the women in your life for all the sacrifices she has made? Is it a day to celebrate how truly great she is because she is such a door mat?
Now lets look at the other extreme? Is Women's day the day to celebrate the liberated woman who no longer cares for the family. Is it the day to declare she will no longer be solely responsible for raising her kids. She will no longer be the cook and provider in the household? After all we are all feminists now aren't we?
So when do we celebrate Men's day ? The other 364 days in the year?
Why do we need to "liberate" women? Why do we have to celebrate their "sacrifices"? Only because we suppress them. We expect them to give up their hopes and dreams for us right? Because we judge them, define what we term as success for them. Force fit them into these martyr shoes that don't want to fit.
You can be a woman or a man. If you are a parent, teach your kids about gender equality and not about liberating woman. Teach your kid that choosing a day to remember a woman is teaching him to forget the rest 364 days. Teach your son's that there will come a day to pick roles in the household. They should be picked because of interests and likes. Not because you are a man or a woman. Teach your daughter that she is equal to any man or woman. But that does not mean she needs to be a man. She needs to embrace herself and her uniqueness and be what she wants to be. If she wants to be a caregiver thats her choice. As is being a Corporate Moghul. Be comfortable in your skin that is what is important.
We dont need a day to be patronized or celebrated or validated. We need a day, every day to be who we are without being judged. Be empowered my dear girls. Conquer the world!
Starting today teach your son's and daughter's gender equality not women's liberation. Lets move towards not having to celebrate "Woman's Day". Every day is Human day!
