International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on March 8 to honour the social, cultural, economic and political achievements of women while highlighting the problems they face on a regular basis in their professional lives in a patriarchal society. The day also marks a call to action for gender parity and respecting fundamental rights.
The women’s rights movement is nearly a century old but it gained pace during 1960s when women sought equal rights and opportunities and greater personal freedom for women. It started with the suffrage movement in the 1920s when women protested for the right to vote and focused on sex discrimination and equal pay. Women’s rights have certainly come a long way since then but as the feminist icon Gloria Steinem once said that things are just moving forward.
The greatest achievement of Women’s Day is that it is globally recognised and there is significant discussion and awareness of the events. However, unfortunately there is little change as women continue to face similar problems particularly those living in conservative societies. Thus, the day matters and has significance unless things actually improve for women. It will take a lot more than awareness raising to change societal attitudes and misogyny that suppresses the right of women.
In Pakistan, women have started organising the Aurat March every year to demand their rights and reclaim public spaces. The event has been mired in an unnecessary controversy over certain banners which triggered the emotions of egotistic men. This has damaged the main objectives of the march and shifted the focus to the extent of freedom and have linked to liberalism. Our society is still not ready to accept a women’s right to appear in public let alone demanding personal freedom over their bodies.
Even the West is struggling with women’s rights and many issues are similar. Global movements like MeToo and TimesUp have brought down predatory men in media and workplaces but there is still a long way. It is imperative that women and even men should support those demanding the right to take their own decisions and become independent. This should not be a far-fetched dream but a reality which requires a change in our mindset and behaviour. This Women’s Day, we should look beyond the banners, hashtags and trends and stop the rampant discrimination and bias towards women.
