8th March 2006
Every day is Women’s Day. A woman has to make her own day, and do so with confidence and courage. To ear mark one day of the year for the occasion is to insult women who do not possess calendars and have absolutely no idea that the rest of the world is ‘celebrating’ their gender. There is no celebration in the lives of those women who have no access to education, to personal liberties and even to their own thoughts. Most of them are born as ‘accidents’. Unwanted even by the women in whose womb they’ve grown. They are resented at birth, unsafe in their own homes. Their lives are valued at less than a price of a bicycle or a goat…Will someone please tell the woman in the hut to wipe her tears and join the party?
Shobhaa De
Women celebrating the International Women’s Day is not a new phenomenon. I think only the name is changed – women always celebrated several days of the year together. This is because bonding and holding the value system afloat has been women’s traditional task. Yes, over a period of time the celebrations of Women’s day have become ostentatious, but so what? So have mehendi, sangeet and so many other occasions.
What I am proud of is the awareness that is spreading like wild fire all around India through women’s bonding and through government and NGO supported programmes wherein one sees slogans like – Hold your head up. Women are equal citizens of India and have equal rights. Do not accept injustice – in small village municipal offices and dispensaries. At least every government dispensary carries the slogan that killing a female foetus is a punishable crime. This is at least one step forward and has been brought about by all women celebrating womanhood!
Vimla Patil
I believe that if each woman ‘who celebrate chick power’ at fancy restaurants, also take time out from their busy schedules to think of their ‘sisters’ the world would be a better place…and we have every reason to celebrate on Women’s Day, continue to do our ‘karma’…and wait for the day when ‘the woman in the hut’ will cut a cake with us.
We, the women of Women’s Movement for Peace and Prosperity have a vision:
LET US GIVE VOICE TO THE VOICELESS WOMEN.
SHE WILL BRING PEACE
AND
PROSPERITY WILL FOLLOW.
From left: Ms Maya Mirapuri(Vice Principal, Arts Faculty, Jai Hind College)
Dr Kirti Narain (Principal, Jai Hind College)
Ms Prema Iyer (Trustee WMPP)
Mr. Ram Maheshwary (Managing Trustee WMPP and General Manager Times Group),
Myself(Chairperson)and
Ms Leena Prabhu(Secretary General WMPP)
March 8th 2007
Celebrated International Women’s Day, the Spirit of Women, at the NCPA…
IMPACT 2000, IMC Ladies’ Wing
On the panel:Consul General for Belgium, Herman Merck. An important point:
” What a woman really wants is the right make her decisions”.
Mr Richard Nissen, President. Interesting point:
The question is: How will a man survive in a woman’s world.
Annericke M. Owen: How do we balance work and family?
Mohit Batra: Sure God created man before woman because one needs to make a rough draft before a Masterpiece.
with the Colaba slum women and children, with a ‘play’ and a song (Maharashtra Mahila Parishad) with a message…
and at a dinner hosted by Times Foundation where eminent women personalities were felicitated. In the picture below, Mr Maheshwary felicitating Fire-brand Legal Aid, Ms Flavia Agnes.
The Song sung by Meenu Gidwani says it all:
Main hoon Bharat ki naar ladne marne ko taiyar
mujhe samjho na kamzor logo, samjho na kamzor
us desh ki hoon santaan ki jiska naam hai Hindustan,
shahzor bade shahzor logo, samjho na….
har khel ki main hoon khiladi, karti hoon kheti baari
ran mein talwar chalaoon,daftar mein kalam chalaoon,
aur dekhoon sab gharbaar
ke ladne marne ko taiyar mujhe samjho na kamzor logo….
Main hoon Jhansi ki shamsheer, main hoon Arjun ka teer
main Seeta ka vardaan, de sakti hoon balidaan
main Been ki hoon jhankar, ke ladne marne ko taiyar,
mujhe samjho na kamzor logo, samjho na kamzor…
Allow me to narrate an episode in my life.
I believe that when one has a ‘good’ desire, it comes true.
About 10 years ago, I went to many schools and I requested the principals to incorporate Spiritual education in schools.
The Principals said that my request could not be granted since India is a Secular Country, which means that they cannot propagate one religion.
I asked them: “Why don’t you teach the future generation, the gems of each religion?”
But the Principals did not pay much heed.
I started to write articles…and I started posting them on my website: Dalsabzi for the Aatman, www.dalsabzi.com The articles came to the notice of a leading newspaper and I was encouraged to write ‘Dadi Nani ki Kahaani’ in which I have written about the gems of all faiths, in child-friendly language.
Today the book has been sent to over 500 schools, and the effort continues to have the book read out to every child in the world.
I also wanted to start a school with ‘Value Education’ today we (Women’s Movement for Peace and Prosperity and Times Group have a plan of starting 100 such schools!
WOMEN’S CENTRES
A DYNAMIC MANIFESTATION OF ONE OF THE VISIONS OF THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT FOR PEACE AND PROSPERITY (WMPP).
From left: Myself and Leena Prabhu Maya Shahani (Chairperson Emeritus) and myself
“Remember how we started?”
From left: Ms Puja Oberoi, Ms Aarti Hundlani, Myself, Ms Meenu Gidwani
Hum honge kaamyaab ek din,
Oho, man mein hai vishwaas,
Poora hai vishwaas,
Hum hongey kaamyaab ek din…
Hogi shanti chaaron or ek din.
Oho man mein hai vishwaas,
Poora hai vishwaas,
Hogi shanti charon or ek din…
From left:
Ms Varsha Kale, Mr Ram Maheshwary and myself
Extreme left Ms Manju Nichani
| Women’s day march 2013 |
| Shakun was invited to speak at the Shaila trust Women’s Group on Women’s day 2013 at Bombay Gym Club. In the photograph with Varuna Jani and Sharon Prabhakar Shakun spoke on Recipes for happiness. |
Shakun Kimatrai 