'W' is for Wonder Woman
Women’s day. One day in the entire year to recognize, applaud, pay tribute to and honour women, and their contribution to society. It is a day dedicated towards glorifying women or ‘superwomen’ all over the world; mothers, sisters, daughters, mother –in-laws, sister-in-laws, daughter-in-laws, cousin sisters, aunts and so on. But the day comes to an end and the recognition fades away; this is the sad reality. Do we really take the time and make the effort to recognize women in their various roles in society on regular days as well? How do mothers as women, contribute and make a difference in the lives of their children?
Photo credit: www.pinterest.com
Women’s day. One day in the entire year to recognize, applaud, pay tribute to and honour women, and their contribution to society. It is a day dedicated towards glorifying women or ‘superwomen’ all over the world; mothers, sisters, daughters, mother – in-laws, sister-in-laws, daughter-in-laws, cousin sisters, aunts and so on. But the day comes to an end and the recognition fades away; this is the sad reality. Do we really take the time and make the effort to recognize women in their various roles in society on regular days as well? How do mothers as women, contribute and make a difference in the lives of their children?
We are sometimes made to believe that mothers are ‘required’ to make sacrifices, in order to be effective. Is it necessary to sacrifice being a friend or sacrifice working, to be a mother? I believe that mothers today can be whoever they want, do whatever they want and whenever they want. Mothers today are breaking barriers and reaching new heights in their quest to fulfil the dreams and ambitions they have. This is what I would celebrate on women’s day and every day.
To me and numerous others, women’s day, mother’s day, children’s day etc is every day. Upon hearing this, one might think it sounds cliché....which it is; but nevertheless, true. This is something I strive to ensure my children keep in mind, and will continue to do so growing up. Children view their mothers as role models and base their perception of women on them. They imitate every action they see around them which also includes the treatment of how individuals (in this post, women) should be treated; whether in their home or outside.
I came across a video on Facebook today by Vaya India, where men were asked to describe the favourite woman in their life in one word. The following were the words used – strong, beautiful, sexy, smart, charming, caring, daring, independent, inspiring, soft, strict, bold, funny, fantastic, cool, warm, perfect, and great. Many of these words are what I want my children, especially my son, to always remember. Strong, daring, independent, inspiring, bold, are some of these words and are seldom used in the context of women.
How we portray women to our children is of utmost significance in today’s profoundly changed world; a world where no one and nothing is sacred. Yes, on one hand, this is something that fathers should ideally focus on drilling into their sons heads. However as mothers, it is as much our responsibility to teach our sons that women are empowered individuals, who are not considered as being the ‘backbone to a man’s success’ but successful themselves. It is our duty to teach our sons that their sisters, girl friends in school and future wives are equal and capable individuals, whose boundaries are to be respected, and who in return will respect them. A father leading by example is of course the best starting point. I recently heard a 3 year old tell his mother that a girl in his class was playing with a cricket bat and ball and was that not meant only for boys? I don’t think there is any age that is considered ‘too young’ to start imbibing these values.
So in light of all the women’s day greetings and posts all over social media, the one thing I want to say to all the mothers out there is this –
“Mothers are kickass, strong and selfless women who inspire others to be better human beings every day". Extending this inspiration and motivation to our children means raising our daughters to be them (strong women), raising our sons to know them and for us as mothers to always be them.
