Woman, The Crown of Society.

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– By Hilda D’Silva, Kallianpur.

“A woman’s love is in action. She looks with her heart and feels with her eyes. A woman is the bank where her family deposits all anger, worries and hurt. A woman is the cement that keeps her family together and her love lasts a lifetime.” – Mother Theresa

What a lasting tribute to women by Saint Mother Theresa. A woman’s love is in action. She is the bank for her family to deposit all feelings. As we celebrate International Women’s Day – 2025, it is time to salute a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, grandmother and a great grandmother. The theme of International Women’s Day 2025 is “Accelerate Action”. The slogan is “Empowered women empower the world.”

Yes, empowered women, whether rural or urban, play such an important role in every sphere of society from family and work to politics. They are care givers, mothers, leaders, entrepreneurs and activists. Globalization and modernization have liberated women and today, women excel in every field, science, technology, defense and politics. Gone are the days when woman’s role was confined only to the household. Today, it is a matter of pride that women practically rule the world with education, empowerment and gender equality. In the Forbes 2024 Power list of World’s 100 most powerful women, three Indian leaders emerged as trailblazers.

# Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister who became the first woman to hold this role full time in 2019 and was reappointed in 2024. A champion on women’s financial empowerment

# Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairman of Hindustan Computer Technologies. She is the first woman to lead a listed IT company in India.

# Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, founder of Biocon, a leading biopharmaceutical company.

In the world, we have most inspiring women – Malala Yousafzai, Kamala Harris, Melinda Gates, Michelle Obama, Indra Nooyi, Sudha Murthy, Sunitha Williams, Saalumarada Thimakka and many many more. Within the four walls of every home, there are empowered ladies, home makers who build value centric strong families. “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world”

– very powerful mission of a mother who does rule the world. Great soul Dr Abdul Kalam opined that the solution to all major problems including corruption is the lap of the mother. It is home and home alone that can shape the personality of a child. Violence, Rape, Harassment, Corruption are the result of the acts of sociopaths and psychopaths born and nurtured in broken families. If great personalities have contributed towards the progress and moral fabric of the world, the reason is the foundation laid by parents and teachers. Words of Abraham Lincoln, “All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” If not for his mother, Thomas Alva Edison would never light up the world, leaving it in total darkness. A mother is the cement binding the family together with her steadfast love and care. She gives to the society, great human beings who enrich the world. She also can produce personalities who can destroy the moral fabric of society, God forbid.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, can we analyze and reflect on the status of a girl child and women? Are girls and women secure in our society with real freedom of movement and expression? The reality is – Every five minutes, there is a rape in India. In 2022, the number of reported rape cases amounted to over 31,000. Domestic abuse or cruelty by husband and relatives was the highest reported crime against women. Kidnapping and abduction in 2022, amounted to 85,000 cases. Again, justice is denied to victims and survivors. So honoring women empowering girl child remain slogans in our society. Can we dream for real freedom to girl child and a woman in the near future?

To empower the girl child, let us seriously reflect on the following:

# Quality education to girls from Primary to higher education level is crucial.

# Opportunities to girls to reach their full potential through skill foundation

# Healthcare to the girl child, minimization of child marriages and promotion of gender equality.

# Economic empowerment of girls. This requires encouragement to girls to pursue diverse careers and vocational training.

# The need of the hour is supportive environment for the well being of the girl child. Boys in the families can be trained to respect, understand and empathise with their sisters and classmates.

Involve girls in decision making in the family, in schools, in society. This helps in breaking gender stereotypes. Self confidence of a girl child is promoted when she develops leadership qualities. Mahatma Gandhi once said “If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate an entire family.”

Let us reflect on ways to empower a girl child and women on this International Women’s Day Let it not be a mere celebration. How apt are the words of William Golding, “I think women are foolish to pretend they are equal to men. They are far superior and always have been.”

To conclude with the words of Mary Kelly, “I do not wish women to have power over men, but over themselves.”

Happy Women’s Day 2025.