On March 8 this year also, all our posts, messages started with International Women’s Day celebrations. I am sure if we are not in the habit of forwarding messages, we might have got one in the different groups that we are on the social media—be it WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook. The quotes shared are strong and the messages are beautiful. Some of us tend to ignore it while some of us love the fact that we celebrate this day. Some of us are happy that it is a public holiday—a no work day.

It is interesting to see various campaigns and events happening around different parts of the world, but at the same time there are so many instances wherein we withhold women.

It could be towards their right, on their thoughts and opinion, on their freedom. Some examples that I am going to list could be the ones that I have seen around me, in the Asian society, but these still prevail.

The fact that the family should have a boy child is prevalent in many homes and the daughter-in-laws, if not pressurised for another child, are still not spoken well of. Instead of rejoicing the capability of bearing a child and taking care of it for nine months in the womb, we are still under the impression that the girl child is ultimately going to leave the house and there would be no one “to carry forward” the family tree.

It is heart-wrenching to know that daughters are not allowed during the last rites of their fathers. There is a difference when it comes to treating a boy and a girl in our society.

Similarly, the differentiation in attire and every day attributes that a women goes through when she is married and when she loses her spouse are not correct. Her marital status should not affect the participation in the ceremonies, the respect and the inclusion in activities in the social order. This is where we need to change completely, not just with our views but also with our voice. We should be the change that we talk about—especially from the day we celebrate women are around us.

I agree men and women are different in many ways, and there is no debate about it, but we really need to buckle up, just not with our words or thoughts but our everyday actions to salute women every single day.

Many argue that celebrating Women’s Day on one particularly day does not help, but it certainly can be a good reminder to celebrate womanhood and spearhead the change the women want to bring.