International Women’s Day , falls on March 8th every year , highlights and celebrates womanhood. One aspect of womanhood is the freedom that every woman experiences , a freedom who’s creative, constructive and generative in nature. But given the condition of women all over the globe , we may be tempted to ask : are women really free ?
For centuries women have been striving for a dignified life in society where they would be treated as equals , where they would feel that they also do matter in the society. Any change in this field can be brought about only through true freedom. Freedom has two diamentions : external and internal.
External freedom, In the context of women’s liberation means the transformation of the attitudes and behavior patterns of men in such a way that they begin to regard and treat women as their equals in all aspects. That is , men need to be liberated from their oppressive and dominanting tendencies towards women. Internal freedom would mean that women who are victims of oppression and exploitation should be helped to evolve a right understanding of themselves, their dignity and their rights as well as a new attitude that will guide their behavior.
It is also helpful to note what Mrs Indira Gandhi has said “ To be liberated, women should feel free to be herself, not in rivalry to man , but in the context of her own capacity. Women should be more interested, more alive and more active in the affairs of society, not because they are women, but because they comprise half the human race. ‘However it is not fair to cry, “Women wake up ! ‘ Perhaps they never had a peaceful sleep. It would rather fitting to say “LET US ALL WAKE UP TO TRUE FREEDOM “.
