- 1140
- 1870
On International Women’s Day, we
not only celebrate women and their
achievements, but also take stock of what
we have gained and what still remains to
be done. Woman empowerment is the
most important aspect of this
day. To me, woman empowerment
means self-reliance. For
this, financial independence
is important, because it gives
confidence and strength. In
order to equip the woman to
be financially independent,
education and vocational
training are imperative. Of
course, times have changed
and women have made a
mark in every field. But we
still have a long way to go.
Mindsets have to change. In
fact, the woman herself has to
realize her own strength as
an equal member of the society.
I believe that whether a woman is
educated or not, she wants to be respected
and treated equally. That is inherent in
her nature. She has the right to establish
her own identity and realize her own
dreams and ambitions. Knowing and
understanding their rights is important for
women empowerment. In her book "My
Truth" Indira Gandhi quotes Tagore’s play
Chitrangada, where the heroine Chitra
tells her husband, "I am
Chitra. No goddess to be worshipped,
nor yet the object of
common pity to be brushed
aside like a moth with indifference.
If you design to keep
me by your side in the path of
danger and daring, if you
allow me to share the great
duties of your life, then you
will know my true self."
There is no doubt that the
gender equation in all fields of
professional life is a reflection
of the gender equation in our
society and social life. I
always find it so incongruous.
We have female foeticide on
the one hand and the new age woman on the other, who has made a mark in
every field, including the corporate and business
world. The fact that the girl child is not wanted
shows that we have failed to make the entire society
aware of what is good for its own survival. In
the metro cities and urban areas, the status of
women has improved, but, the percentage is so
small that it cannot make a great impact.
The importance of the girl child is crucial to
woman empowerment. We must educate the girl
child and pay attention to her fitness and good
health, teaching her the values of the quality of life,
as well as the importance of a purpose in life.
Every girl child should have access to education.
This will contribute towards making a better world.
In fact, early in my career, I began to focus on
woman empowerment and vocational training for
women and physically challenged girls. I encouraged
women to open salons in their own homes in
a small way, so that they could have financial independence
and yet be close at hand to care for
home and family. I believed that if women are
encouraged to go out to work, and their husbands
encourage them in their mission, the family can
benefit from the earnings of two members. The
quality of life of their children would definitely
improve, not only in terms of education, but also
good health. This holds even more relevance in
rural areas.
When I represented India at President
Obama’s Summit for Entrepreneurs in Washington
DC, we had a seminar on women empowerment.
Mrs. Hillary Clinton was there and she spoke on
the upliftment of women in rural areas and education
of the girl child. She said the quality of life
needs to improve in
terms of basic health care too. We discussed
that education and health care would help child
mortality rates go down. In fact, I feel that special
attention should be given to extra-curricular activities
for girls and women in rural areas. An exercise
and diet regime would help both mental and physical
health. Great emphasis should be given to
every mother to empower her financially and mentally,
so that she can educate her girl child of her
rights and also inculcate the values of good health,
nutritious diet and education. When I lectured at
MIT, I also spoke on the relevance of education for
empowerment and quoted Mahatma Gandhi, who
had said, "If you educate a man you educate an
individual, but if you educate a woman you educate
an entire family."
We must realise that changes cannot come
from outside and by force. It has to come from
within the society. Although we still have a long
way to go, on this International Women’s Day, I
salute the independence of spirit that women have
been expressing during the last two decades. It
tells us that we are going in the right direction. I
feel sure that in the coming years, we will see the
unleashing of woman power.
Long ago, I had written, "A woman was created
to blossom and bloom, in her own colour and
fragrance. The way an unwatered plant becomes
parched and dies, so does the personality of a
woman who is struggling to break through the
shackles of social conditioning, to achieve recognition
as a separate individual, with a distinct identity.
The change will be complete when society recognizes
that it cannot benefit from preventing the
emergence of the pearl from the oyster. Let each
woman redefine her place in the world, giving it her
own colour and fragrance, making this world a
much better place."