There are certain empowering moments that we all cherish for life. For me, one such moment was a sortie on the Sukhoi fighter, cruising along the Himalayan peaks and the Brahmaputra valley. I began the flight with diffidence, but ended up brimming with confidence and told myself, “Yes, we can.” And the second moment that will indisputably mark an epochal change in the life of the nation was my signing of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam that proposes 33 per cent reservation for women in all legislative bodies.
These moments are integral to my life and I recall them to tell you an incredible story of women empowerment that is unfolding before us. As a girl from a remote tribal village of Odisha, I saw it happening. In my public life, I am overawed by the pace with which we are moving towards the goal of gender justice and gender equality.
One of the perks of being in public service is that you spend a lot of time travelling around our beautiful country and meeting extraordinary individuals. After assuming the office of the president of India, I have often hosted a variety of people and groups at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, too. From all my interactions with a cross-section of society over the years, one thing I would like to share with you today is this: The Indian woman is moving ahead with confidence.
Whenever I visit universities and academic institutions for convocation ceremonies and other events, I cannot help but notice that female students are matching, if not outpacing, male students. Concerns have been expressed the world over about the under-representation of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Even in these supposedly male-dominated branches of knowledge, I have met women who are making remarkable contributions. Women scientists have been in leading positions in our space programme, spearheading ever-new journeys. In the corporate sector and especially among the start-ups, women’s presence is striking.
As the supreme commander of the Armed Forces, I can say with pride that girls are busy breaking more and more glass ceilings in our Army, Navy and Air Force. In sports, young women have arguably made their presence felt more than in any other arena.
Equally important is the fact that these are not individual achievements alone; these are also the accomplishments of the nation. Women sportspersons have won medals for India, and women scientists have helped India win a unique place among space-faring nations. It could not have been otherwise, after all. Women form half the population, and India—or any nation, for that matter—can go only as far as its women go.
Women’s empowerment, when we consider it this way, becomes not a charitable mission, but a roadmap to a country’s progress. Without it, no nation can ensure economic development and prosperity for all its citizens. At the same time, if we look at it from a young girl’s perspective, it is a way of recognising her inherent dignity as a human being, equal to any other human being. Women’s empowerment, in her case, is about removing the inequality of opportunity before her and letting her realise her potential.
But the sad truth is that too many young girls have been denied an equal opportunity. Historically, humankind has displayed a pernicious prejudice against women. It is reflected in our languages. For example, ‘humankind’ is usually called ‘mankind’. As you know, the draft of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights began with the sentence, “All men are born free and equal”, and it was Hansaben Mehta who ensured that it was changed to “All human beings are born free and equal”. Hansaben was one of the 15 women who were members of the Constituent Assembly. They also included Dakshayani Velayudhan and Annie Mascarene from Kerala. Yet, the common expression to refer to the framers of the Constitution, I suppose borrowed from the west, is “the founding fathers” of the Indian Republic.
Our languages merely reflect the way the dominant group among us looks at the world. The prejudices inherent in such expressions throw light on the fault lines in our society. While we celebrate the achievements of women, we also acknowledge the fact that there are many, many women who would have liked to become space scientists and fighter pilots, but could not. Since women’s progress is the measure of the progress of the society, the society must do all it can to make it a little less difficult for them to move ahead in life.
Hansaben was one of the great women who participated in the freedom struggle. They included the likes of Sarojini Naidu, Sucheta Kripalani and Kamladevi Chattopadhyaya. They were, arguably, among the first generation of women who crossed the threshold of their home and entered the public sphere. That was made possible partly by the visionary leadership, especially of Mahatma Gandhi. As a result, when elections were held for the first time in independent India, there was no gender discrimination at all about who could vote as well as who could contest. This was in sharp contrast to the gradual progress towards universal suffrage in many democracies.
In our times, the journey of women’s political empowerment is going to gain an unprecedented momentum with the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. When India will celebrate the centenary of independence, this revolutionary Act will have contributed most to making it a developed nation in the true sense. When women become part of collective decision-making processes, governance is bound to be more sensitive to conditions on the ground.
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When it comes to the state and society joining hands to unshackle women, Kerala has played an exemplary and inspiring role since the pre-Independence era, thanks to the progressive principles of the local rulers. It is heartening to note that the mission they started has continued, propelled by higher levels of literacy on one hand and an overall focus on human development on the other. The results are for all to see. Every woman from Kerala I have come across has been full of self-confidence. This has led to women of Kerala making outstanding contribution in every sphere, from sports to science. In the noble profession of serving human beings, they can claim near-monopoly in nursing, not only in every city and town in India but also in many places abroad.
To them and to all my other dear sisters, I would like to say that we have come a long way from the days when our grandmothers first stepped out to join the freedom movement, and our daughters will carry the torch forward into the second century of independence. To celebrate your achievements, one day is not enough. Every day should be celebrated as Women’s Day in the spirit of “yes, we can and we will.”