IT'S the day of the woman, in times that are not quite hers. And many have decided to help her celebrate it. Decided to make the International Women's Day the next big event in the business of celebrations in a Hindustan that has, in the past few years, been taught to rejoice fervently on Fathers', Mothers' and Valentine's Days.
Dedicated to women the world over, March 8 has more than just feminist organisations paying tribute to the Indian woman this year. The event seems to have caught the fancy of corporations and clubs alike. And some of the participants have designed novel methods to celebrate.
A clever coincidence then, that just a week before the Women's Day, automobile giant Maruti, along with other corporate sponsors like Bank of America and Indian Oil Corporation among others, organised a car rally aptly dubbed Women's Power Drive. Exclusively for women, the event saw about 130 ladies between ages 18 and 70 cover a distance of 75 kilometers in and around Delhi. With Rs 50,000 as first prize, the event was meant to "flag off a movement for observance of traffic rules, road safety and pollution control." Well, who better than women to bring order to the Capital's reckless roads!
Cosmetics company Pond's went a step further. Between hectic election programmes aired this week, a commercial in pastel pink and virgin white announced Pond's celebrations of womanhood to mark the International Women's Day. Wild camera angles captured starlet and pop singer Raageshwari talking about how she has been working since 14 and is independent. Of how financially independent women also want husbands, children and families. Take your time to figure that one out.
Presenting women with yet another interesting alternative to celebrate March 8, meanwhile, Delhi's posh club India Habitat Centre has organised screenings of two films based on gender themes, performance by an all-woman band Just Us and an exclusive ladies lunch. A low calorie extensive menu designed specially for ladies who might choose to celebrate Women's Day nibbling at cucumber noodles, baked pepper sole, stewed fruits in Cointreau and mint salad! For Rs 198.
Along with these new twists to the tributes being paid to womanhood thrive more conservative celebrations. No dearth of seminars then for those who wish to spend the day in a more reflective mode.
Organisations such as the National Commission for Women (NCW) have been in the thick of activities through the week. Their itinerary reads a two-day-long symposium on 'UN Conventions and The Advancement of Women', followed by a discussion presided by first lady Usha Narayanan on Development of Women in Fifty Years of Independence. Along with special programmes to honour women freedom fighters at every state capital. "However we celebrate,
the message to women this special day—in a year when only 41 will sit in a 535-member Parliament—has to be to have self-confidence," says NCW chairperson Mohini Giri.
Working towards this end, a platform of women's organisations in Calcutta, Maitree, will meet up a day before March 8, to participate in a cultural programme. And on Women's Day, Calcutta-based NGO Sanlaap will end its march through south Calcutta with a dance-drama on women—Shrishti. The cast comprises children rescued from brothels and children of prostitutes.
Others like Delhi-based women's group Jagori will use this day to launch special campaigns. Members of this outfit plan to spend the day at the New Delhi station, dressed in black, and distribute pamphlets to launch its campaign against sexual violence faced by women on trains.
Some, like Jaipur-based women's rights activist Kavita Srivastav, look forward to interacting with students and women's groups to foster solidarity. "We always meet at protests, when a rape or some depressing event brings us together. It's important to meet when we're happy too," she explains.
In the same spirit, like-minded organisations like Dastkar, Kali for Women, Naz Foundation, People Tree, Spic Macay and Tarshi planned three-days of fun on the occasion—photo-exhibition on gender, books, stationery, T-shirts on sale, play-reading by Manjula Padmanabhan, Bharatanatyam recital and film screenings. Says Radhika Chandiramani of Tarshi: "We work on serious issues the year round. This is party time." Adds Dastakar's Pramada Menon: "No chief guests for this event, we're the chief guests. It's our day to enjoy."
Fair enough. Protests, marches, seminars, exhibitions, films, cucumber noodles, profundities by starlets...To each her own.
