With Women’s Day just around the corner, a lot of us will be receiving and sending ample of happy women’s day images. These images will celebrate womanhood, talk about women’s rights, define women empowerment, tell us how women are no less than men, and so forth. However, there would be no historical significance in any of them. Neither will any of them tell us how, women, as a gender, have come to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their male counterparts.
1. #MeToo movement in India
Following Alyssa Milano’s Twitter hashtag which went viral in 2017, India though late to catch on, also started its own #MeToo campaign. It got momentum after Tanushree Dutta came out accusing Nana Patekar of sexual harassment. A lot of women, in the entertainment industry and outside, got the courage to speak up and come out with their harrowing experiences of sexual abuse and harassment. The image below is from one such rally where women shared their experiences of sexual abuse and protested against the same.
2. Chipko movement
We all have heard about the Chipko movement which started as a non-violent protest in order to save forests. However, one of the most prominent features of this movement was a large number of women participation. For probably the first time, a movement saw mass participation from female villagers.
3. SEWA women
Founded by Ela Bhatt in 1972, SEWA was the first of its kind association to take care of the welfare benefits of women working in the unorganized sector of India. This is a recent photograph of the women of SEWA. Though it’s not from any movement, this image signifies women empowerment at the grassroots level.
4. #LahuKaLagaan campaign
Women photographed during the #LahuKaLagaan campaign which is one of the movements that led to India eventually becoming one of the very few countries that imposes zero tax on sanitary pads. Previously, the luxury tax was imposed on sanitary napkins.
5. Anti Liquor Movement in Andhra Pradesh
6. Sabarimala movement
An image from the recent Sabrimala movement where women demanded entry into the holy shrine on terms of gender equality. Despite the SC granting entry, the entry of women into the holy shrine remains questionable.
7. Triple Talaq Verdict
A picture clearly depicting relief as women are seen celebrating after the historic SC verdict on Triple Talaq. Under Islamic law, saying the word talaq three times grants the permission to a man to give divorce to his wife. Recently, the law changed making it unacceptable in the eyes of law.
Don’t you feel that these are the images which portray womanhood? They should surely be your happy women’s day images. What do you think? Do you have any such image to share? Let us know your views in the comments!
(originally written for TopYaps.com)
A Rustic Mind 