Womanhood Triumphs: Breaking Barriers, Inspiring Change, Shaping History

Since time immemorial world has witnessed the best sides of women. From household chores to the office work, from being entrepreneurs to holding government offices, from defence services to space, from fashion industry to machine learning, there is no such field where her presence is not felt. The role of women is indispensable as they are the planners, managers, directors and the decision makers. Their path of progress has never been smooth as they have been subject to suppression, biasness and subjugation in this stigmatic and patriarchal setup.

Their struggle had been long and enduring. The obstacles on her path of progress can be traced globally. The foot binding norm in china which put a limitation on her liberties, the Jauhar tradition, sati pratha, purdah system in India, gender apartheid practised in church of England and Roman catholic church where women were never accepted to the positions of clergy or other leadership roles. These are some of the examples of suppression and discrimination faced by women.

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Despite these obstacles, women have outshined breaking the shackles of society and have emerged as the role models.

Charles Fourier in 1837 coined the term ‘Feminism’. After this various feminist movements took place across different parts of the world. The first wave of feminism in India was witnessed in 20thcentury on establishment of Women’s Indian Association, which demanded for equal electoral and voting rights. The second wave Women are the backbone of the society. All the activities would come to a halt if there are no women.

In the times, when their rights and liberties were almost non-existent and they were the puppets of patriarchy, the women listed below were the silver lining. They blew the siren of bravery by fighting the gender bias, leaving the impression of their hard work and determination.

Formation of laws and administration of justice is something which was always centred in the hands of men. Be it the kings or the judges of the courts, strangely it has been men framed of the blue became laws for and relating to women. But these women out a part of the legal system of the country, giving a blow to the stereotypes’. JUSTICE ANNA CHANDY, became the first female judge of Kerala high court in 1959. Throughout her life she worked for claiming equal rights for women. She also found a magazine named ‘Shrimati’.By holding such a position she has inspired the womenfolk and proved that there is no such field where women can’t reach. FATHIMA BEEVI – She became the first female judge of Supreme Court of India in 1989 and was also the first Muslim woman to be appointed in the higher judiciary, breaking the religious stereotypes. Even after her retirement she served in National Human Rights Commission.

Hitting a home run in every walk of life, Politics too has the traces of their excelsior performances. INDRA GANDHI, remarked as the ‘Iron lady of India’ and ‘Woman of Millennium’. She was the first and only lady Prime Minister of India. She served as a prime minister from 1966-1977 and again from 1980-1984. In addition to this, she was also the first recipient of Bharat Ratna Award. Being a resolute woman, she was an outstanding leader and an epitome for all. She served for the nation with all her main and might and her name is written in golden words in history.

Some of her major achievements as a Prime Minister are the nationalisation of major oil companies in 1973 such as Bharat Petroleum Corporation, Indian Oil Corporation. India’s victory in the Indo- Pakistan war was one of the major achievements. The first underground nuclear test was successfully conducted during her time and that mission was named as ‘Smiling Buddha. Also the ‘Operation Flood’ transformed India from a milk deficient country to the largest milk producing country.She was an iron willed lady who took India to another level of development. On the other hand, VIJAYA LAKSHMI PANDIT, who hailed from a sound political background was a prominent politician and an Indian diplomat.

She was elected as the first female president of the United Nations General Assembly. Furthermore, fighting the odds and giving a blow to the gender bias, C.B MUTHAMMA achieved a lot of ‘firsts’. She was the first lady to clear UPSC examinations in 1948. With to her diligence and determination she became the first female IFS officer. Her continuous fight against gender bias resulted in, her becoming the first female Ambassador to Hungary then Ghana and later Netherlands. Last but not the least, CHOKILA IYER, was the first female foreign secretary. Even after her retirement she served for National Commission for Scheduled Areas and scheduled tribes.

Armed forces are like a thick covering over the nation, protecting the subjects from all types of weather be it intense heat or extreme cold. Orthodox people always believed that women are sensitive and weak which makes them incapable of becoming a part of these forces. Proving this a myth, SARLA THAKUR, was the first Indian woman to fly an aircraft. In 1936, just at the age of 21 years she got her license and flew gypsy Moth Solo. It is a pride to state that even at present India has the highest percentage of women commercial pilots in the world. CAPTAIN PREM MATHUR, is the one who proved that ‘sky is the limit’. She became the first Indian woman commercial pilot.

Her journey wasn’t an easy one but her determination made her sow the seeds of her desire. Finally, after being rejected woman of Indian origin to go the Space which marked a golden by eight airlines as a pilot, she was appointed by the Deccan Airways. In 1953, she joined Indian Airlines, making India the first country to hire a woman in IATA (International Air Transport Association) Airlines Ltd. She also won in National Air Race. Also, KALPANA CHAWLA was the first woman to go to the space and this was a golden moment in Indian history. Unfortunately she lost her life in Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster in 1977.

Just like the Armed forces, there are women who have given their life serving for the society. An epitome is, MOTHER TERESA, who came to India in 1931 where she took her initial vows. In 1950, she established ‘Missionaries of Charity’ with the aim of spreading love and care to destitute people. She served for the society tirelessly to improve their lives. She was the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

It’s easier to get recognition for your talent these days as the world offer many opportunities like music and dance contests, slam poetry events, cultural programmes etc. But back in those days it was a herculean task, especially for women due to the social stigma. Despite these obstacles, woman like KAMALADEVI CHATTOPADHYAY, one of those infamous names whose history. She was a victim of evil religious practices but rather than wonderful contributions occupy a special place in the sitting back and crying over her fortune she decided to come out of her shell and work for a greater cause. Her contribution in Art and Theatre is indispensable as she used theatre as a medium to highlight the social issues in the society. She also nurtured the development of ‘Sangeet Natak Academy’ and ‘Indian International Centre’.

She was the first female candidate to run for a legislative seat in India. And, RUKMINI DEVI ARUNDALE- She was the first lady to be nominated in Rajya Sabha. She was a Bharatnatyam dancer. Apart from her contribution in dance and culture, she was an animal right activist. This charismatic lady could have become the first female President of India as she was offered this position by Morarji Desai, the then Prime Minister of India but she didn’t accept the offer and choose dance over the highest office; proved that there is nothing impossible in this world. Moreover, ISMAT CHUGTHAI, the first Urdu writer who portrayed the issues like female sexuality, femininity and women rights through her poetries and stories. She is also a recipient of Ghalib award.

What you sow shall you reap. Their will power and diligence had transferred their dream into reality. Their long and continuous efforts had blown a breeze of fresh air giving hope and strength to the entire womenfolk. These women had set an example that there is no such milestone which a woman can’t achieve. At present we have many conventions and laws protecting the rights of women. We celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th every year to give a tribute to struggle for equality.