Why we need a "Women's Day"

We have "Mother's day", "Daughter's day", "Wife's day", "Sister's day".....do we still need a "Women's day"?

Well, what’s the harm in having one day out of 365, dedicated to women?

8^th of March is celebrated internationally as IWD (International Women’s Day). It began as socialist political event- at one point in History it was even called International Working Women’s Day. Today it has largely lost those overtones and is celebrated the world over as an occasion to remember and recognize women in various roles, their achievements in an unequal world.

Women have come a long way...from being relegated to dark-dingy kitchens, or behind curtains, or with child-bearing and rearing, or to propagating the 'happy home' image in adverts by posing next to kitchennettes and vaccum cleaners....to choosing to take on diverse roles in building the professional as well as social matrix as they are today, in both rural and urban worlds, in the West as well as in the Orient. This is no mean feat and deserves to be celebrated.

Some would argue that having a special day dedicated to women actually defeats the very cause that it sets out to commemorate in the first place: that of women’s struggle for equality. Why would they need a day to themselves and want equality at the same time? On the other side of the debate is the consideration that such an occasion would really force women to stop and reflect about who they really are, what is their place in the male-biased or female biased cultural hegemony. As for me, I take this opportunity to gratefully salute those generations of unsung women in both public and private lives whose unwavering faith in and relentless effort towards this cause have given us what we enjoy today - a better world in this sense at least, while at the same time acknowledging that the road ahead must be tread.

Perhaps some of us will live to see a day when it would no longer be necessary to celebrate Women’s Day as we would have come together on a broader platform just as human beings, each gender playing the assigned role with full consciousness that it is but a necessary arrangement in order to better the human condition.

Until then, let women be especially honored, humored, loved and cherished as Mothers, Sisters, Lovers, Wives, Friends and Colleagues, on all days and especially on this day.

It is a practice in many countries to gift women ‘yellow mimosas’ – a symbol of spring and of happiness. Then of course, there are other gifts like diamonds which can make most women go over the moon. If not any of these, then a simple warm smile and a sincere wish can also do the trick.

Take your pick.