US Women Equality Day: The fight is still on

Though over the years may women have come out of the shell of patriarchy and society is moving towards the right track of gender equality, still there is a long way to go when women get their due rights. And as we continue to fight the perception and the system, women have been embracing various challenges, and crossing those obstacles with fresh energy.

People started observing Women’s Equality Day on August 26 in the US, but over the years, the movement has extended to several countries around the globe. For starters, the day is marked to observe the 19th amendment made to the US constitution in 1920, which gives women the right to vote. The first Women’s Equality Day was observed in 1971 and thereafter, designated in 1973.

Although in India, women have been successfully exercising their right to vote for a long time, they are fighting other evils in their homes and workplace, often called the hub of sexism. Despite various improvements throughout all these years, society is still plagued, and the true meaning of the word ‘feminism’ still haunts many people out of ignorance.


And the process needs to begin right from the home, nurturing a child, whether male or female, to embrace a gender-neutral environment. For example, teaching boys how to clean dishes and girls to engage in sports could be the right start. In fact, everyone, whether older or younger, should take part in daily chores. Secondly, inculcating the right use of language is also very important. We should avoid telling the boys to ‘stop playing like girls, or don’t cry like a girl, or stop telling the daughters not to ‘sit like a boy.



How can one raise feminist children?
To promote feminism, give the right compliment to the girls, not focusing too much on their looks, but rather encouraging her smart attributes, saying how strong she is and highlighting her skills. Remember, the first school of children are their parents, as they replicate everything they see and eventually follow the same track.

When these boys are imparted the right education in their childhood, they will tend to avoid gender discrimination at workplaces and pinpoint their male chauvinism.

Though diversity and inclusion are now in place in most organizations, and women started holding leadership positions, there is still a large chunk of people in our society following conventional mechanisms. They need to be turned around and communicated the real meaning of equality. There is a long way to go. Happy Women’s Equality Day.