An Ode to Women's History Month - From U.S. to India

I had tremendous respect for women across the regions. With all due courtesy, respect and worship, I will try to put something together for the best among both the sexes. The women’s day falls on March 8^th every year. March 8th is celebrated as International Women's Day to recognize and celebrate the achievements and contributions of women worldwide. While it is just a day to speak out loud about the utmost necessity and importance of woman, we generally tend to remember their importance every day and every hour. While it is a cliché, it is true that behind every mans success, there is a woman. This is most certainly true in my case where the role of fairer sex isn’t any lesser. Without woman, there is no creation and without the creation, the world doesn’t exist. I figuratively reached the highest altitude, tallest location or top of the world and talking about the good of 50% of the population.

The first International Women's Day was celebrated in 1911, and it has since become an annual event celebrated around the world. The United Nations recognized International Women's Day in 1975, and it is now an official UN observance day. Similarly, Women's History Month is an annual celebration that takes place in March in many countries around the world, including the United States. The purpose of Women's History Month is to recognize and honor the contributions of women throughout history, and to promote gender equality and women's rights. During Women's History Month, people celebrate the achievements of women in various fields, including science, politics, arts, and sports. The month is also an opportunity to highlight the ongoing struggles for gender equality and the need to continue working towards a more just and equitable world for women.

In Indian women’s history or its mythology, while Rama is known for his utmost singular worship, respect towards Women, Lord Krishna is known to charm and attract women. Anyone who has a lot of female following in right ways is referred to being a Krishna. When Krishna is around, the gopis or the women of Vrindavan lived through by having a mesmerizing effect upon them. Krishna would often play his flute, which had a hypnotic effect on the gopis, who would leave everything behind and rush to be near him. Krishna would dance and play with them, and they would sing and offer him gifts of flowers and food. Krishna is known to have had many female devotees and followers, including the gopis of Vrindavan, who he treated with kindness and love. Women are most happy when Krishna is around. Women should also be most empowered when Krishna is around. Thus, Krishna is often depicted as an empowering figure for women in Hindu mythology or the important character in the women’s history of India. In similar vein, let us bring in the aura of Lord Krishna to create his ‘leela’ and energize women all around.

In the same pattern, why can’t we turn more feminist for the sake of fairer sex. Remember, the land which celebrates, worships, protects and respects women will also be most blessed. For a place, where sensitive people and those with less physical strength thrives, the society and the country will also prosper. One of the biggest indicators for development is women empowerment and gender equality. In this month, we need to re-dedicate ourselves for women equality and their well-being. We can quickly look at the reality on the ground for the progress women made in developed and developing world in five areas – 1. Education 2. Employment 3. Sports 4. Science 5. Political representation.

Education - While the literacy rate for women in India has increased over the years, there is still a significant gender gap in educational attainment. According to UNESCO, in 2018, the literacy rate for women in India was 70.3%, compared to 85.7% for men. In the U.S., women make up more than half of the undergraduate student population and earn more college and graduate degrees than men. In India, however, women are still underrepresented in higher education institutions. According to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2021, India ranks 112th out of 156 countries in terms of the gender gap in education.

Employment - Women in developed countries generally have greater access to employment opportunities compared to women in India. According to the World Bank, the labor force participation rate for women in developed countries is 62%, compared to 28% in India. Women's participation in the U.S. labor force has increased significantly over the past century, and women now make up nearly half of the labor force. According to the International Labour Organization, in 2020, the labor force participation rate for women in India was 20.4%, compared to 68.4% for men. In contrast, in developed countries, women's participation in the labor force is closer to parity with men.

Sports - Women have made significant contributions to U.S. Olympic success over the past century. In the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, women won 61% of the total U.S. medals. Since its inception, U.S. women won 50% or nearly 1500 out of 3000 Olympic medals. In contrast, Indian women have won 6 out of a total 34 medals in the Summer Olympics. In many other games as well, there is stark contrast in women of developing countries like India playing and winning competitions compared to developed world. In addition, there are laws brought to bridge gender gap in sports. The passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act in 1972 was a major milestone for women's sports in the U.S. Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in any educational program or activity that receives federal funding, including sports. This law has led to significant increases in participation rates and funding for women's sports at the high school and college levels. Can we also give such a fillip for women sports in India with concrete results.

Science and Technology - In general, women in science and technology in the developed nations have made more progress compared to women in India. Women in the United States have been able to pursue careers in science and technology for several decades and have made significant contributions in these fields to humanity. For instance, there are around 50 women Nobel laureates from U.S. compared to none from India. There is a need to bring women to highest positions in research while defeating gender inequalities from the lowest stages.

Political Representation - In India, the representation of women in politics remains relatively low. Women hold only about 23% of seats in the Lok Sabha and 22% of seats in the Rajya Sabha (the upper house). Women's representation is even lower in state legislatures, where they hold only about 9% of seats. While there have been some recent gains in women's political representation in India, progress has been slow. In countries like Norway, Iceland, Finland, and Sweden, which are the most feminist nations in the world, women hold more than 40% of parliamentary seats. In the United Kingdom, women hold about 34% of parliamentary seats, while in Canada, they hold about 29% of seats.

As can be seen, there are miles to travel for India to fix gender inequalities and discrimination to unlock the soft power of the nation. The secret recipe for India to become developed is to empower the women and end subconscious biases. The true picture which will be revealed by few rankings is far from the ideal scenario. The Gender Inequality Index(GII) is published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and measures gender-based inequalities in three areas: reproductive health, empowerment, and economic activity. In the 2021 GII, India ranked 140 out of 162 countries. Global Gender Gap Index(GGGI) is published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and measures gender-based gaps in four areas: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. In the 2021 GGGI, India ranked 140 out of 156 countries. Similarly, the 2021 Gender Development Index (GDI) by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ranks India 129th out of 190 countries. The GDI measures gender inequality in three dimensions: health, education, and income. In each of these dimensions, India ranks lower than many other countries. These are the rankings by UN and WEF which kept the state of Indian women at the lowest strata.

While the developed nations can do better towards gender-based violence, India has a lot of ground to cover in every aspect involving feminine section. The education and empowerment of women throughout the world cannot fail to result in a more caring, tolerant, just and peaceful life for all. The fastest way to change society is to mobilize the women of the world. When women succeed, nations are more safe, secure, and prosperous. Such is the magnitude of untapped soft power which when energized will linearly rise the state of the nation. This is the subject of greatest importance which is dealt from the highest point of the world to bridge and bring gender equity in far away places. This is the substance which needs to be carried from countries like U.S. to India to alter the phase and face of India.