International Women's Day is not specific to any country, group or organisation.
The day belongs to women everywhere.
It is celebrated on 8th March across the globe.
This year, the goal is to create a gender equal world.
Women realised they were being opressed and treated unequally in 1908.
That's when they began advocating for equallity and their human rights.
Finally they were able to secure some of these rights like voting, etc.
Earlier only men had the right to vote. Now even women secured the right to vote among others.
But there is still a long way to go. Not all women are treated equally.
This is why we have to continue the advocacy and hence it is important to celebrate women's day.
This will help to create awareness about gender equality.
The aim of women’s day is to:
1. Celebrate women's achievements and create awareness about it.
2. Women must be treated equally with men as it is their human right.
3. Advocate for accelerated gender parity in work places.
4. Fundraise for female-focused charities for their hard work.
In India there are many skilled women who have achieved their dreams.
These are not only Hearing women, there are Deaf women as well.
Let me tell you about them.
Mallika Handa is a Deaf woman.
At the International Deaf Chess Championship in Asia's Mongolia in 2015,
Mallika was the first Indian girl to win a gold medal.
She is a Deaf woman!
Vidisha Baliyan won the Miss Deaf World Contest.
She is a Deaf woman.
Archana Timmaraju is an art teacher and is India’s first woman deaf biker.
She travelled by bike across India.
She is the first Deaf woman to do so. She is planning a world tour to more than 80 countries,
to show people that she is a Deaf woman and raise awareness about Indian Sign Language.
Gita Gopinath is the first female chief economist of the IMF - International Monetary Fund.
Earlier, there were always men that held the post. Now she is the first woman.
Dr Swati Mohan was the person who landed NASA’s Perseverance rover.
She was the first woman to do so.
Ritu Karidhal was the mission director of Chandrayaan 2.
She is known as the rocket woman of India.
Sudha Balakrishnan is RBI’s first female Chief Financial Officer.
Nirmala Sitharaman is India’s first female finance minister.
In the USA, the Vice-President's post was always held by a man.
Kamala Harris is first female & American born - Indian Vice President of the USA.
Avani Chaturvedu, Bhawana Kant & Mohanna Singh
are India’s first Female Combat pilots.
Earlier only men were taken as combat pilots. For the first time women have been selected for the role.
In Indore, Dr Usha Punjabi a Deaf woman - with her husband Rajkumar Punjabi -
is founder of Mook Badhir Sangathan, Indore who run Indore Deaf Bilingual Academy.
Did you see that? In India there are many skilled and accomplished Deaf & hearing women.
Such women are there in the field of politics, space, etc. How inspiring!
You all can achieve the same!
Stop second guessing yourself! Ignore all the negativity!
Persevere and you will achieve your dreams!
So happy women's day!