International Women's Day

I envisage a world wherein both men and women feel free to be strong and sensitive,where both can pursue their dreams without any inhibitions or fears of transgressing societal norms of what constitutes 'masculine' and 'feminine.'
The creator of the universe  created only biological differences,the rest is all socially constructed. The social and mental conditioning begins from the day a girl child is given a doll or kitchen house to play with whereas a boy is given cars and robots to play,when a girl is told to be soft and sweet-spoken while a boy is told to be strong and aggressive, or when unconsciously sexism gets ingrained from dialogues such as "Boys don't cry."
When we talk about maternity leave but not paternity leave,it is implied that the role of a father in childcare is less valued by the society.When the legal and religious framework of civilizations establish women as properties of men(fathers or husbands)they are like a
subservient oppressed class,forever deprived.When ancient literature talks about the sexuality of a man,but is silent about the aspirations of a woman,questions are raised about the patriarchal discourse.
When marriage is deemed to be the ultimate destiny of a woman,aren't we divesting her of the right to chase her professional ambitions and realise her full intellectual potential?Aren't you imposing on her a life,which is less than the one she is capable of living?
When motherhood is considered to be the transcendent role of a woman,aren't we establishing the glass ceiling which prevents women from reaching the top rung of career ladder?
When the institution of marriage inevitably compels a woman to sacrifice and compromise more than anyone else,when media and advertising portray women as sexualized commodities,when parents themselves conform their kids to gender roles,can we aspire to create a society" where the mind is without fear and the head is held high,Where knowledge is free,
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls?"
We cannot definitely ever live upto Tagore's words if women of low income families are denied the right to answer nature's call ,if natural biological processes like urination and menstruation are stigmatized taboo topics, to the extent that women are even considered "polluted" when the have their periods every month when the onus of maintaining modesty and privacy is more on the woman,than the man;when a woman's rejection is perceived as consent,when rape and molestation torment the victim and put a question mark on her dressing sense or character instead on the offender,for such and many more reasons-let everyday and not just International Women's Day be a day where we all consciously stand up and fight for the rights which make us human beings.

- Rtr. Manjima Misra
Club Editor,
Rotaract Club of Delhi Janak