Recently the whole world was busy in celebrating IW’S day, so do India. It’s a centenary year of International Woman’s day. In 1910 a second International Conference of working women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named Clara Zetkin (leader of the ‘Women’s office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women’s Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day-a Woman’s Day-to press for their demands. Zetkin’s suggestion was accepted across the world and thus International Woman’s Day was the result. 

Clara Zetkins launched the very first International Woman’s day the followed year on 19^th March (not 8 March). Success of the first IW’sDay in 1911 exceeded all exception. 

In 1913 IW’s Day was transferred to 8^th March, which remained the global date for IW’s Day ever since. To mark this at least 15 countries consider it an official Holiday. 

Like other countries India also celebrates this day with all vigor. Numerous programs like conferences, seminars, talk shows and cultural programs are organized by government departments, women welfare associations, NGO’s, schools and colleges. Are mere speeches and all these conferences or seminars really fulfill the significance of this day? Or is it meaningful to fix one day of the year as Woman’s Day when women all over the world battle every day for their rightful place within the society? 

In India, undoubtedly, many women are unaware of this day or of what actually happens on this day. How many mothers are given the day off from their parenting duties? How many husbands and children pause a moment to think about what their wives and mothers do for them on a daily basis? How many in-laws pledge to check dowry deaths? Or how many husbands decide not to hit their wives…the list is long. 

Among 600 million women, which is about half of India’s population, large number belongs to villages and small towns. They are still living a miserable life there. We cannot judge Indian women progress by just looking upon urban ladies. Just because we have a lady president or some of the most powerful CEO’s are women or that some of our girls have won the international beauty crowns, we should not conclude that women in India have come to the forefront.  

The condition of Indian women has certainly improved since Independence. They have unchained themselves from some of the atrocious social practices of past, better educated, better opportunities and well paying jobs outside their homes. But, is that enough? 

Although women’s literacy rate has gone up but still over 200 million of them are unable to read and write. A recent study by National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) shows that at least 41 percent of girls drop out of school, as soon as they are 19 years old. This is apart from the 19 % who never attended school. In the same way a vast number of women are suffering from malnutrition compare to boys. More than half of all married women are anemic in India. The reducing sex ratio in India has become an international topic of debate. High –income cities like Delhi and Chandigarh or states like Punjab and Haryana had even lower sex ratios then the national average. 

Women can now be seen in many more jobs that were unimaginable a few decades ago. Women are capable of doing only certain types of work; this belief is out dated to some extent. They are giving good challenge to their counter gender. Surprisingly, in urban areas also where the presence of women is most visible in workplaces only 14% are working. Where as in rural areas, vast majority is restricted to agriculture or low paid jobs. 

All this doesn’t mean that we have nothing to celebrate. We have come a long way and the road was not easy for us. If we want to see India, a mighty superpower, we have to change our attitude that treats women as second rated citizens. We have completed half way but there is still a way to go.