| Waking
the Women Power |
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You are
never given a wish
without also being given the
power to make it true.
You may
have to work for it,
however.
- 'Illusions', Richard Bach
March 8th is the International Women's Day -- a day dedicated for a major chunk of the world population. Women have, over the centuries, borne the burden of world's natural and man-made disasters. Controlled and exploited, they face fresh challenges in the 21st century of information technology and global competition.
In India, there are only 93 women for every 100 men. Despite the disparity, the woman in India faces many challenges -- on the personal as well as social front. To state that there has been no change in the woman's status would be too pessimistic. There have been many significant achievements that have helped women achieve an identity and dignity. However, the benefits of legislation and awareness campaigns have gone to urban women more. They have certainly made strides in terms of career choices, financial independence and self-worth.
Despite these achievements there is a need to take a hard look at the reality -- how many women have actually been empowered in a true sense. To mistake the urban independent woman striding across the TV screens, splashed on the pages of newspapers and displayed on magazine covers is
definitely not the representative of the Indian woman. She represents a minority of the population.
The benefits of development are yet to reach the masses -- and it is here that the woman who has arrived can play a role. As the saying the goes, stop talking about labour pains and deliver the baby. It is time to stop cribbing about discrimination and wait for hand-outs and favours either from the government or the men who control. It is time to organise, cooperate and 'wom'empower the gender discriminated.
As Bach says in his book Illusions, we are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true. We believe that women have that power within themselves. All that is needed is to wake that power and join it with other 'powers'.
As is often pointed out, woman is the woman's greatest enemy. That can be proved wrong. All women (the liberated men too), no matter what the circumstances, can extend any kind of support -- financial, moral, legal, empathy, understanding, education, awareness.
Pledge your support to those who need it today -- may be your sister, your maidservant, your neighbour, your colleague, your friend -- even if you can do nothing else, empathise with them. However tiny, the effort will go a long way towards empowering the women of tomorrow!
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