On the occasion of International Women’s day
An afternoon soiree took place at Oxford Book store; Connaught Place on the occasion of International Women’s day. The topic for the panel discussion was Gender Equality. Gender discrimination which is still an enormous problem in the Indian society was debated upon in the presence of Nelofar Currimbhoy and other women achievers like Bhawna Reddy, Shazia Ilmi and Sita Raina.
On the occasion Nelofar shares her view point “Under the traditional patriarchal norms, women have been largely relegated to secondary status both inside the household and at the workplace. This has affected women’s health, their financial status, political involvement and education. Women are usually married young, soon become mothers and are burdened by stringent domestic responsibilities. The numbers reveal a darker side of inequality with only 54% Indian women literate as against 76% menâ€
What is more alarming is that terms like ‘women empowerment’, ‘feminism’ and others are often diluted and assume a rather fluid role rather than being anything concrete. The purpose of all the activism is often lost under the weight of the words and the work of real achievers is usually not highlighted.
And that’s exactly what the panel discussion aims to do. Women who have stamped a presence in their own filed will speak about their experiences, disappointments, courage and finally, the achievement. The panellists at the event cut across various professions like beauty expert, artist, journalist turned politician, and theatre activist. Each of these women are doyens in their own domain. They challenged stereotypes and battled societal traditions to reach the pinnacle of their career disdaining sympathy and compassion.
