International Women’s Day is observed on 8 March of every year to celebrate the achievements of women in from various fields. Creating awareness among women about their rights will lead to their empowerment. 'Be Bold for Change' the theme for this year’s women’s day and this theme calls for women to be courageous in facing various challenges.
Education is a main tool for the women to be empowered and take on the challenges of this world. Hence every girl child should be educated. An educated woman is an empowered woman who will be in a position to make her choices about life and career. As far as empowerment of women is considered, in a country like India, the dependence of women on others for their survival is one of the factor that hinders the development and empowerment of women. Societal values which are imposed on the women also plays an important role.
Women still have a long way to go in getting a role in decision making in the fields which are dominated by the men especially in Indian politics where a majority of the law makers are men. This automatically puts women at a disadvantage. Literacy rate and employment have improved among woman in urban area as compared to rural areas and this divide should be fought vigorously to bring an equality in the literacy rate among women. Opportunities and choices are also limited to the women to pursue their career of their choice.
Participation of women in economic activities plays an important role in empowering them and providing them with greater financial freedom and in turn this will empower them to participate in the process of decision making with matters pertaining to their life and profession. International Women’s Day should not be only a celebration but also should be liberating. Thinking beyond the boundaries of societal laws is very important for any woman to be liberated.