It’s the first week of this March and the news room is buzzing with little conversations as to feature which ‘successful’ woman this year. And before a celebrity is picked, there is a ping on the phone. ‘Are you a woman and going bald? Come this Women’s Day and avail extra hair implants at only something-ninety-nine rupees. Don’t miss this offer!’
Its International Women’s Day, a day when special offer coupons expire, newspapers and websites are bathed in pink and the chances of getting a pink cake at work are high. You like it or not, the colour pink is the order of the day.
“It’s more like the corporate world wants to keep the tradition alive and nothing else,” says Shruti Menon, a resident of New Delhi, who does not agree with the concept of International Women’s Day. She adds that there is no meaning in allocating a day in the year, throwing offers and claiming to have done your bit for women.
Coming to think of it, the question prevails, do we really celebrate the day? And how? And why? It is definitely not by reading articles or availing offers. Surely, there is more to it.
Nupur Jha, an upcoming female rapper in Bengaluru, says she has no qualms in observing a day for women but she adds it doesn’t help her bypassing the male ego clashes she faces in her field. “Even to this day, I get raised eyebrows as a reply when I tell them I am here to rap. It is a cliché but there have been times when I have told them that we (women) can do everything, including rap,” she explains.
Oh yes! Male ego, reminds us of the man of the internet, Mukesh Singh and his ‘I was just doing my work’ justifications.
The fact remains, we still live in a patriarchal society, the ‘dos and don’ts’ are shouted out from rooftops by them. A few amongst us make it a point to open their eyes with different rules; others don’t bother as they have tried and failed at it in the past.
So, what is the point of celebrating something superficially? In reality, it makes no difference. Does the man across the street stop ogling at you because it is March 8? No. Do you feel like being a little less cautious while walking in public because it is March 8? Another definite no.
Yes, there is due respect to those women who dared to form a union and demand equal civic rights decades ago, that led to Women’s Day being coined. In a way, the situation has not changed much since then. We still stage protests and conduct rallies, except, we might be able to form a union without much trouble.
Women around the world have been celebrating the day all these years but still we find ourselves in a similar situation. Might be it’s time for a little tweak in the way we see the day.
And, going by the current status of India’s Daughter there is surely the need of such a day, such great deals, such overdose of pink. But surely not for the ladies! It is the men who need it; they surely are in need of a reminder that assures them that we exist. Off course, we are not on the same level as them; we are in a different boat with better reasoning ability.
So, turn around ladies, wish the men, ‘Hey, It's International Women’s Day.’