Women's Day

It came, it went.. Not many reflections, not many inspirations, not even any reason. That was international Women's day for me. Nah, I dont not believe in the essence of womanhood. But I dont agree with what is done in the name of celebrating women's day. Let me think, what would I want a day specially set aside to celebrate womanhood to be? That requires me to define my idea of womanhood. I dont know if I can put down all that I think and feel, but yeah am making an attempt. The very word 'woman' always comes to me with 'sensitivity' and 'feel' tagged along. That is something that majorly characterizes women- the ability to feel and be sensitive.Then comes an eye that can appreciate things beautiful and creative; a mind that can analyse situations and decide the best course of action; a will that can be break through any hurdle, if need be; a heart that is kind.... and ofcourse, there are those reservoirs of tears, obsession with beauty, too much senti, jealousy, gossips... all this comes as a single package.
True, there are places where women's day cherishes the great work of women and gives the impetus to reach for the stars. But this, sadly, is not what is popular. All of media and the corporate world sells a whole new concept for women's day to our women. They precisely build on those minuses of theirs.Buy more cosmetics to be beautiful, celebrity gossips, so on and so forth. Is this how we want to celebrate ourselves and what we stand for?
That aside, the very concept of women achievers annoys me. Who are achievers? what is achievement? nobel lauretes? business women? scientists? models? writers? actresses? all these and more of the rest. While the people referred to by their professions are indeed achievers, they dont define achievement. Any talent is partly inborn and partly hardwork. While they definitely need to be appreciated for their hardwork and talent, we also need to look at the other women who, in their own ways, are changing the ways things work. These professionals get paid, get recognition for their work; but what about those who work with the single aim of changing the world, dont get rewarded in any form, still go on in the path that they have chosen? what about my servant maid who has been coming to work 99% of the days despite having a drunkard husband who keeps getting into some trouble or the other? what about the friendly lady at the cafe in my college who keeps innovating to satisfy the customers even without a promise of pay hike or appreciation?what about the illiterate woman of some non descript village in maharashtra who was kicked out of her house, fully pregnant with a girl baby, and who went on to educate dozens of orphaned kids to produce doctors, lawyers and responsible citizens?what about women who have to fight everyday to merely exist? Arent they achievers too? Shouldn't they be celebrated? We seem to have a tendency of filling the platter of those already overfed and ignore the starving. It is time we shift our parameters to define what is achievement and what is not; it is time we stopped looking just at those distant stars and started looking at the flowers being crushed under our foot;it is time we celebrated the real woman....