On International Women’s Day, the global community comes together to recognize the achievements of women and advocate for gender equality. However, in Kashmir, the day gains more importance as during past three decades owing to the conflict and violence, the women have suffered the most. So here, more than the celebrations, the day should remind one and all that the society has to do a lot to ensure a healing process among the womenfolk and at the same time while recognising their resilience and courage, walk the extra mile to ensure the empowerment of women.
Historically women have played significant role in the shaping of Kashmir’s history. Though largely a patriarchal society, Kashmir, in comparison to several other regions in country and the world, has treated its women fairly. But that is not enough. Times have changed and gender equality is the only way to move forward. Thankfully, things have changed a lot. People have started realising the importance of educating girls and in return the girls too have been showing their worth. They are not lagging behind in any field. They are excelling in academics, medicine, entrepreneurship and all other fields. But still in some sections of the society, a male child is preferred over a female child and one could witness that from the expressions on the faces of parents in every hospital where mothers deliver their babies. This sick mindset needs to be changed.
Unfortunately, some sections of the society are always trying to put men and women in some sort of competition. No, there is no competition. They together and jointly have to contribute for the betterment of their home, their society, their country and for the larger world. Once both the genders are seen equally with equal kind of talent and potential, things will move in right direction.
Every child’s, be it a male or a female, journey into this world starts from mother lap (woman). She doesn’t discriminate between her girl or boy. Why should the boy, after becoming a man, try to discriminate against his mother’s gender? While governments will continue to launch schemes and programmes to uplift the status of women in the society, empower them and make them equal stake-holders in the process of progress and development, it is the society that has to play the major role. Taking benefits of government schemes, a woman can become a Panch, Sarpanch, MLA or MP but what if his father, husband, son or brother still tries to control her decisions? This aspect solely is society-specific. Society has to wake up to give proper meaning to the government policies.
Let men treat women as equal partners. Respect them as much as they want others to respect themselves. A woman can be a good cook but a good pilot too. A woman is a good home-maker but a good nation-maker too. These are the realities that have been proved beyond any doubt. So on this International Womens Day, let a resolve be made that henceforth we all believe in gender equality with no ‘ifs and buts’.
