As I sat wondering about the topic that I should choose to write on for this Monday, I saw that my inbox was inundated with invitations to speak on International Women’s Day, and thus, I found my topic.
If one looks up Google for why the 8th of March is celebrated as International Women’s Day, one will find several reasons. Many people claim to have had these celebrations since the 1910s. International Women’s Day is when you celebrate women’s social, political, personal or professional achievements. This is just one day when you celebrate the presence and contributions of women family members like your sister, your wife, and especially your mother, who contribute the most to the family. Therefore, there is sometimes a debate about whether International Women’s Day needs to be celebrated at all, and in fact, I used to be one of the critics of this celebration at one point.
However, my perspective changed when I looked around and saw that even in urban societies, women are not given credit for the work that they do, and this is not restricted to India only but can be seen in several parts of the world, including several developed parts of the world. That was when I realized that there should be one day when women should be celebrated: the 8th of March.
We must teach our growing sons and boys from childhood to respect women’s rights. How a boy grows up appreciating his grandmother, mother and wife later translates into him respecting his wife. The culture prevalent in the domestic household helps a boy inculcate respect for women.
Secondly, in the professional setup, equal opportunities should be given to men and women. I am glad that Symbiosis, the organization I lead, has a considerable representation of women leaders. This did not happen because I was a woman and a leader at the organization but because I was conscious about giving opportunities to women. It is equally lovely to see women take an active part in the governance of our organization, even in the past.
I would like to talk about my mother, a role model. While my father, Dr S B Mujumdar, the Founder of Symbiosis, has been the man behind Symbiosis, whenever any critical decision has to be taken, my mother’s opinion counts, and we still consider her opinion to be of utmost importance. We seek her opinion if we are in any decision-making dilemma. Women do not just think pragmatically, but they feel from their hearts and minds, and many times, decisions need to be a fair combination of the heart and mind.
Symbiosis has always believed in empowering women, and therefore, we set up the Symbiosis Medical College for women, which is fast climbing up the ladder to become one of the most prestigious medical colleges in India. However, while in the medical profession, one does see 50% of the women entering medical colleges, hardly 17 to 18% pursue the medical profession later in life. Therefore, by starting a medical college exclusively for girls, we empower them with such values that they will continue contributing to the country’s health care delivery.
I could quote many such examples, but on this Women’s Day, I want each woman who reads my blog to think about their achievements. Please do not be harsh on yourself, and do not belittle any of your accomplishments because your journey has been unique. Whether contributing to your workplace or even as a housewife, feel proud of your contributions when you contribute to your domestic environment.
Let us all, irrespective of gender, work toward equality of the genders. Let us empower our women and encourage our men to participate in the empowerment.