Against the backdrop of women’s maltreatment at different stages of history, International Women’s Day has been put in place to emphasize the role of women in society and the nation. It is celebrated on 8th March every year with different themes. This year’s (2024) theme is ‘Inspiring Inclusion’. Inclusion refers to the practice or policy of providing access to equal opportunities and resources to people otherwise excluded.
As women’s discrimination does not seem to end, despite the phenomenal efforts put in by them, activists, and other stakeholders, there is a dire necessity to campaign for their rights and to foster their inclusion in every sphere of life.
When we inspire others to realize and value women’s inclusion, we contribute to creating a better world. And when women are inspired to be included, there is a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment. So, everyone has a role to play in enabling the inclusion. There are many areas where women can make a big impact but have not been offered a chance. Though gender disparity has greatly reduced in the education sector and positive outcomes have been achieved, there are regions in the world where females can only dream of education. Imparting education to them is considered insignificant and in this way, their cognitive, intellectual, and other abilities are not only undermined but also insulted. This ultimately translates into a myriad of familial crises at the micro-level and poor economic growth at the macro-level.
An educated woman is not productive only for the family but for the nation also. Educated women guarantee the best upbringing, growth, and development of youth — the future of the nation.
Only women understand women best. A male cannot decide what a woman needs. Thus in patriarchal societies, women often remain on the rack, which generates the need for women’s participation in politics and media. Although some progress is palpable in these fields, the results are not convincing. In the sub-continent, women are not given a share equal to that of men anywhere. Politically, they are not allowed to represent themselves to the fullest. This area asks for attention. We must encourage women to be active in politics for the larger good and to cause requisite shifts in the political system of a country. After breaking the shackles and societal barriers, finally, women partook in media. However, she struggles even today. She faces various challenges leading to demotivation, disappointment, and discouragement. In this arena, women’s representation bears a multipronged impact. Her participation does not merely earn her fame, name, and fat salary, but it has the potential to shape the whole society. By raising gender-sensitive issues, issues dealing with the rights of women, and others, she can be pivotal to ensuring gender equality and social equipoise. And can be a torchbearer for others to position themselves on deserving places in the society.
Women do not lag behind in intellect. They too are capable of thinking out-of-box. They are creative and time has proved it. Therefore, pushing them away from this field, in reality, is a disservice to society. Instead of demoralising them, their abilities can be harnessed to be used in technology and innovation. We must open up a chance for the application of their inquisitiveness and acumen. As is evident from developed countries, it can open a window to economic empowerment, besides adding to the growth of the nation.
In many workplaces, women are not valued as much as men. They are paid low for strenuous work. Maltreatment and sexual harassment at workplaces have compounded their problems. In this way, women are psychologically, physically, as well as emotionally chagrined. Thus, they feel marginalized and abstain from being part of the social structure, which prompts social disparity, and slow economic growth, and development. This has a direct bearing on the workplace productivity and development of society. While campaigning for ‘Inspiring Inclusion’ our goals must be clear and all these sectors need to be taken into account. So that women continue their role as an ‘Indispensable part’ of the world for a better tomorrow.
The author is a student, tutor, and Columnist. He can be mailed at: mohdzeeshan605@gmail.com
