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Celebrating Woman's Day
As we will be
celebrating women’s day on 08th March…Gratitude from Sanjeev Sharma…to
all women’s…across the
globe…!!!
Introduction
In the words of Late Pt Jawaharlal Nehru: "You cantell the condition
of a nation by looking at the status of its women". As we will be
celebrating women’s day on 08th March, I feel that it is my dutyto
express my gratitude to all women in my life, as a mother, sister,
friend, peer…to all known and unknown women’s.
Need to Celebrate Women Day
International Women's Day (8 March) is an occasion marked by women's
groups around the world. This date is also commemorated at the United
Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday.
When women on all continents, often divided by national boundaries and
by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences,
come together to celebrate their Day.
International Women's Day is the story of ordinary women as makers of
history; it is rooted in the centuries-old struggle of women to
participate in society on an equal footing with men. In ancient
Greece, Lysistrata initiated a sexual strike against men in order to
end war; during the French Revolution, Parisian women calling for
"liberty,
equality, and fraternity" marched on Versailles to demand women's
suffrage.
The idea of an International Women's Day first arose at the turn of
20th century, which in the industrialized world was a period of
expansion and turbulence, booming population growth and radical
ideologies. Following is a brief chronology of the most important
events:
1909
In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America,
the first National Woman's Day was observed across the United States
on 28 February. Women continued to celebrate it on the last Sunday of
that month through 1913.
1910
The Socialist International, meeting in Copenhagen, established a
Women's Day, international in character, to honour the movement for
women's rights and to assist in achieving universal suffrage for
women. The proposal was greeted with unanimous approval by the
conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, which included the
first three women elected to the Finnish parliament. No fixed date was
selected for the observance.
1911
As a result of the decision taken at Copenhagen the previous year,
International Women's Day was marked for the first time (19 March) in
Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, where more than one million
women and men attended rallies. In addition to the right to vote
and to hold public office, they demanded the right to work, to
vocational training and to an end to discrimination on the job.
Less than a week later, on 25 March, the tragic Triangle Fire in New
York City took the lives of more than 140 working girls, most of them
Italian and Jewish immigrants. This event had a significant impact on
labour legislation in the United States, and the working
conditions leading up to the disaster were invoked during
subsequent observances of International Women's Day.
1913-1914
As part of the peace movement brewing on the eve of World War I,
Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the
last Sunday in February 1913. Elsewhere in Europe, on or around 8
March of the following year, women held rallies either to
protest the war or to express solidarity with their sisters.
1917
With 2 million Russian soldiers dead in the war, Russian women again
chose the last Sunday in February to strike for "bread and
peace". Political leaders opposed the timing of the strike, but the
women went on anyway. The rest is history: Four days later the
Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted
women the right to vote. That historic Sunday fell on 23
February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia, but on 8 March
on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere.
Some of successful women’s in India Inc
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw: CEO of Biocon India. In 2004, I was in KARVY and
it was 1600 hrs on that day, a lady walked into the premises of KARVY,
along with her Husband, to say thanks to the CMD of KARVY for handling
the Public Issues of Biocon India. I was there, looked at her; there
was so much of confidence in her voice, way of talking, way of
walking, she was Kiran Mazumdar Shaw. In the following week, I read,
she has been declared as a wealthiest woman in India. Kiran, like many
other people is a Science Graduate, but after graduation, Kiran took
the most unusual step of going to Australia to join a course in beer
making at Ballarat College. Her father, who had earlier blocked her
admission to the medical college, now encouraged her.
Being a leading brewer with the UB Group, his advice to Kiran was
invaluable. In Australia, Kiran was the only woman in an
international class made up of men. She not only survived, but also
topped.
On returning to India, after some years of being a consultant, Kiran
took another bold step, to start her own business. Again, her track
record is not just unique but enviable. She started as ridiculously
small as she has grown big today. But all along the way, she
refused to pay a single bribe to get her work done. This is what makes
her achievement even more spectacular.
Today, Kiran is habitually on the covers of some of India’s leading
periodicals. In her own way, she is helping to build a new
India, which promises a better future to all of us.
Arnavaz 'Anu' Aga, the chairperson of Thermax Limited. Aga's story is
one of triumph over both personal and professional adversity.
Overnight, she had to assume the role of the chairperson of the group
in 1996 after the sudden death of her husband, Rohinton Aga who
had built Thermax up from a small boiler company in the eighties into
a leader in engineering solutions in energy and environment.
When she took over, she faced a difficult time as Thermax had slipped
into the red and an economic slowdown threatened the company's bottom
lines. Aga took tough decisions like exiting non-core business
and laying off employees – all of which pushed the company into
the black again in 2002.
On the personal front, she not only had to deal with her husband's
death but also the tragic death of her only son a year later.
Recently, Aga stepped down as the chairperson of the company in favor
of her daughter Meher Pudumjee.
Ranjana Kumar who is known in Indian business circles as a 'superbanker'.
She took over as chairman and managing director of Indian Bank,
one of the largest public sector banks in 2002. Within two years she
affected a turnaround.
In 2002, Indian Bank reported a net profit of Rs 33.22 crore - the
bank's first net profit in six years.
Kumar, the first woman chairperson of a public sector bank, was also
instrumental in bringing down the bank’s non-performing assets from Rs
191 crore to Rs 163 crore.
She is now the chairman of the National Bank for Agriculture and
Development or NABARD.
Zia Mody One of India's top corporate lawyers Mody who is the legal
consultant to many investment banks and specialises in mergers &
acquisitions was awarded the Knowledge Professional of the Year.
An advocate of the Mumbai High Court she handles commercial litigation
in corporate and civil property law and arbitrations. She advises
foreign multi-nationals with regards to joint ventures, licensing and
works with
foreign institutional investors and venture capital funds with regards
to investment into India.
Five Most Powerful Women’s in the World
Condoleezza Rice (National Security Adviser, Bush
Administration; USA)Advising the leader of the world's largest
superpower--and having the ear of leaders around the globe--makes
Rice, 49, the most powerful woman in the world. President George W.
Bush trusts Rice implicitly, likely more than anyone else in the White
House. When Rice speaks, she speaks for the president. With her
silver-tongued diplomacy and steely nerve,Rice has played a key,
behind-the-scenes role in helping to steer the United States through
two wars,as well as the resulting controversies.
Rice also served under President George H.W. Bush and in the Reagan
administration. Despite growing up with racial segregation in
Birmingham, Ala., Rice says her "parents had me absolutely convinced
that, well, you may not be able to have a hamburger at
Woolworth's but you can be president of the United States."
Wu Yi (Vice Premier, former Vice Mayor of Beijing; China) As
the highest-ranking female member of China's Politburo, and a vice
premier and minister of health,Wu Yi (pronounced: "Woo Yee") is the
most powerful woman in China. Known as "China's Iron Lady," Wu
Yi,65, a former vice mayor of Beijing, is a rising star in China's
Communist
Party. Proud, elegant, intelligent, Wu Yi impressed her party's
leaders when she deftly helped hammer out five trade agreements
with Russia in 1999 and oversaw delicate negotiations for China's
accession to the World Trade Organization.Surprisingly, Wu Yi
never envisioned a life in politics. "In my youth, I never developed a
desire to
enter politics. My biggest wish was to become a great entrepreneur,"
she once said.
Sonia Gandhi (President, Congress Party; India) No other woman
in recent times has been more widely revered in India than
Gandhi, 57. Gandhi made headlines in May when, after the party she led
won India's democratic elections, she declined to take over the
prime minister's seat. Now that her chosen successor, Sikh economist
Manmohan Singh, has been given the job, Gandhi gets to reign
over her beloved country anyway-without having to take
responsibility for any mistakes the government might make. With
political skills like this, anyone would think she had
been born a Gandhi, and not simply had married into India's most
famous political dynasty.
Laura Bush (First Lady; USA)
Make no mistake, Laura Bush, 57, is a powerful hand behind the scenes
at the White House. The president often refers to her as the most
important, guiding force in his life and credits the First Lady with
turning him around, thus putting him on the path to the White House.
And when it comes to an unruly press, reporters sit up and take note
of what Mrs. Bush says, thanks to her calm, commanding and reassuring
demeanor.
Although the First Lady is a major force in her husband's re-election
campaign, depending on the outcome in November, she may cede her power
to philanthropist Teresa Heinz Kerry.
Hillary Rodham Clinton (U.S. Senator; USA) Hillary Rodham
Clinton, 56, has a knack for being smack in the middle of
history. Clinton is the only former First Lady ever elected to the
United States Senate and is the first New York Senator to serve
on the Senate Armed Services Committee. And Clinton is the first First
Lady to survive an
unprecedented, withering string of White House scandals, enough to
take up years worth of late-night comedy monologues, including
the historic impeachment trial of her husband. Talk persists as to
whether Clinton will eventually run for president. She's adding to the
speculation. "I'm having a great time being the Pres-, I mean,
Senator from New York," she once said.
Women in India
Women in India have seen their social positions rise and fall in
accordance with the policies of the prevailing rulers. In
ancient India women in many places occupied an equal if not superior
position to the men. History is witness to the fact that during
many reigns, the queens held greater power and influence than any of
the courtiers. Literary manuscripts tell us about kingdoms gained and
lost due to a single woman. Valmiki's Ramayana speaks about Ravana's
entire clan being wiped out due to his abduction of Sita. In
Mahabharata all the Kauravas perished because they humiliated Draupadi
in public.
To instill such high ideals in humankind, Indian ancestors created a
plethora of goddesses who enjoyed equal status with their husbands.
The concept of Ardhanareeshwarar, where God is depicted as half-man
and half-woman, is a
concrete example to support this argument. In many philosophical texts
God is referred to a Tat, meaning It and that God is beyond
gender. And, one would find a comparable Goddess for each God.
Further, we know for a fact that ancient India was permissive;
women could have multiple husbands, widows could remarry, divorce was
permitted for incompatibility or when estranged
Women in Modern India
Presently the picture seems to be very different and paradoxical.
Goddesses are revered in various hues and forms throughout the
country. Most major Hindu festivals are venerations of a Goddess. But
the mortal Indian woman is another story completely. There are
horrendous stories of 'dowry deaths'; stories of female infanticide
are unfortunately too many to ignore; women in small towns and
villages are victimized by powerful figures of the community and
their families. These cases are not the norm of our society but the
fact that they do happen is horrifying. Comparisons made with the low
points of other societies or religions or countries do not take away
from the fact that these cases should not be there and should not have
any reason to reoccur. The wonderful legacy of our past of tolerance
and of women empowerment seems to have faded away.
Conclusion
Few things I like in women around me…
1. It is amazing how women are so wonderfully giving and loving. Their
love is unconditional and forever. And once
they forgive, they really forget. They don’t dig out the heavy
artillery, even when they have the best opportunities
to do so.
2. It is lovely how women manage to hear you out for hours. They never
pass judgments. Never say you are wrong
(even if you have behaved like the worst jerk in the world). And when
you ask for their opinion they give it without
managing to make you feel a worm. Theycriticize without wounding.
4. A smile. Now when women smiles, she really smiles. No pretences,
She smiles from her heart and speaks
with her eyes. It is amazing how many ways women smiles. She has a
tender smile, a loving smile, a "what will I do
with you" kind a smile. A saucy grin. A smile of gentle indulgence and
finally the best of them the complete smile.
The smile that says "Whatever you are, however you are, I love you"
5. The way they get all in frenzy, when they want to let you know of
their achievements. Their eyes say "I
want you to be proud of me" but they will die rather than admit it,
After all they only wanted to let you know.
7. "Do-good" attitude - an undeniable part of every woman. They are
out to reform everyone. They will give you
sermons on all your vices (by the number of ‘vices’ they list you will
feel a worse insect than Satan will) and tell
you have to reform to be a "better" person. And will be hurt if you
don’t wanna change.
9. A single thing that I love about a woman, it is the perfect mix
that makes men goes weak-kneed. The
sensuality combined with nurturing, the naughtiness combined with
caring, the vivacity coupled with quiet
understanding. It is a heady mix and man, it is very intoxicating.
Therefore,
Kudos to the Mother who loves others even more
Kudos to the brave lady
Kudos to the business woman
Kudos to the sports woman
Kudos to the politician
Kudos to the women for all her successful and enduring
Missions.
Have a great time and take care.
Looking forward to your comments…
Regards
Sanjeev Sharma
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