“She is a wonderful woman, very brave and determined. It is fortunate for us that the men are not all like her.”
– Cornet Combe, 3rd Bombay Light Cavalry on Rani LaxmiBai of Jhansi. Combe was one of those who intercepted her flight from Jhansi.
To say, that generations upon generations of men and women have drawn inspiration from the courage and patriotism of LaxmiBai, Rani of Jhansi, is not only stating the obvious but an understatement. There is hardly any woman in India who does not consider her as their role model. Any Bollywood actress given half a chance would love to portray her role on the big or small screen. Such is the impact of the great queen who inspired and died at a very young age of 30 years, during India’s First war of Independence in 1858. Not only India but also the world now needs more LaxmiBais than ever before. The way women are being treated today, as objects of sex all over the world rather than as paragons of humankind is a shame. God created woman as a better half of the Mankind. Alas, apparently somewhere along the way God has hit the wrong buttons on his computer. And the world is facing the consequences. Atrocities and violence against women is not unique to India alone. In India, Nirbhaya’s case in Delhi is culmination of a series of incidents since time immemorial that in this Age flew out of control due to lack of respect for Law and the lackadaisical attitude of Law enforcement agencies. Attitude of men towards women, in general, should change and show some maturity. Remember, every man has a mother and then things will fall in place.
Each year International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8. The first International Women’s Day was held on March 19, 1911. March 19 date was chosen because it commemorated the day the Prussian King promised to introduce votes for women in 1848. The promise gave hope for equality but it was a promise that was not kept. Later, in 1913 it was moved to March 8.Since then, several events are held to mark the occasion.
In 1975 the United Nations (UN) drew global attention by calling for 1975 to be International Women’s Year. India celebrated by releasing a stamp to mark the occasion. Later, the same year the first conference on women was held in Mexico City. UN General Assembly advised the member nations to declare March 8 as the UN Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace in 1977. The purpose was to help countries eliminate discrimination against women. It also focused on helping women gain full and equal participation in Global development. The result today is that two of the most powerful persons in the World are : Dr Janet Yellen, Chairwoman of the US Federal Reserve and Christine La Garde, Managing Director, IMF. Both women.
The UN declares an annual theme and this year it is :Inspiring Change. It is a call to inspire positive change all over the world. And mark the occasion to highlight the role of women in bringing about a positive change in the world. It is also an occasion to celebrate women’s achievements throughout history and across nations. It is also known as women’s Rights and International Peace.
International Women’s Day in Australia
UN Women National Committee, Australia has announced that the Australian actress Nicole da Silva as the first National champion for the organisation to promote women’s empowerment and gender equality. Several events are being organised to celebrate the occasion.
International Women’s Day in India
International Women’s Day is celebrated all over India to increase awareness about women’s rights. This event celebration plays a great role in distributing the real message about women’s right and their place in the society.
Just for the record. International Men’s Day is also celebrated on November 19 each year.
International Women’s Day 2014 – Inspiring Change added by Indian newspaper Sydney on
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