WOMEN IN INDIA have come a long way from the days when they had to face extreme levels of exploitation and adhere to clearly defined norms of society. Till recent decades, women and taboos have always walked together in their journey. Such taboos have made women life miserable in achieving what they want and crushed their dreams of a bright career. But today, it is in the broader context of the social and economic milieu that women in India are now slowly coming into their own. Professional women in India have broken the glass ceiling and have started making impressive strides.
Women are to be empowered and so it is the duty of every man, “WE MEN” to empower our other half. It is believed that a country is considered civilized or developed if we empower women and give special status, honor and dignity to women. Sometimes when we look, India is a country with lots of contrast in what we believe and in what we do in action. Our belief and our action contrast a lot. India is a nation where goddess Jeneni who gave birth to whole universe, Laxmi goddess of wealth, Saraswati goddess of wisdom, Durga goddess of Justice and Sita model of perfect womanhood are worshipped and glorified. Yet, still majority of our women are curtailed and deprived of freedom, rights and above all their human dignity.
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The issue and problems of domestic violence, work place discrimination, molestation and rape is at a high rise. In the religious atmosphere, women are hailed and in the earthly atmosphere, women are nailed. But the dawn of Modern India, changed the outlook of Indian women forever. Today women have tasted success and achieved the unachievable expected of women by men. To this we can say Education as the “Game changer” in the life of Indian women in the 21st century. By far the most critical aspect of this march for success has been education. Educated young girls want to work and work with a difference. There are today thousands of examples to celebrate Indian women’s remarkable achievements practically in every walk of life.
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Today we have women Engineers, Doctors, IAS, Ministers, CEO’s, Scientist, leaders and many more not mentioned here. The “5Cs” for women’s career success often refer to leadership qualities like Courage, Creativity, Curiosity, Confidence and Communication helping them navigate workplaces. This has also made huge change in attitude and outlook towards women. As the famous Women Tennis champion Serena Williams once said, “Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on.”
At this juncture, we can take the model of matrilineal society where women are given higher status. Tribe in India like Bunt from the region of Tulu Nadu in South west India, Nair Indian caste from Kerela and Khasis, Garos and Jaintias from the North East India are tribes with a difference. They are examples of women pride and empowerment at present in India. The attitude towards women and the mindset as a sex object need to be changed. The use of words such as “second sex” or less capable so on and so forth need to be erased from the male dictionary. Laws on violence and discrimination need to be implemented. Quota and Reservation system need to be revised for women. The quote or idiom, “Mould a girl child, make a society” need to be imprinted in everyone. With all these and many other upliftment programmes for women we can make women smile and say to themselves, “I know who I am now”. As for man it is said, “Behind every successful man, there is a woman”, but for women it is often said, ‘Behind every successful woman is herself’, which is not far from true.
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There are many examples of women in India making a vital contribution in every government offices and corporate companies. These women have brought unique perspective to the table. Women today are leading the change for shaping a sustainable future, which encompasses financial sustainability, community resilience, leadership succession and intergenerational equity. Although it is evident that despite the enormous stride taken by women, there are still many mountains to climb. The theme of the International Women’s Day 2026 “Give to Gain” is a call for mindset rooted in generosity, collaboration and shared progress. It highlights the power of reciprocity, when individuals, organizations and communities invest in women than opportunities expand, systems gets strengthen and ultimately society thrives.. Women can play an extremely important role in shaping the future of our country but much she depends on the goals she sets for herself and the visions she charts for future. It must be believed that there is no limit to what women can accomplish. “She is rare. She is real. She is remarkable”. Yes, indeed women are.
(The Author is a PhD research scholar, School of Social Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Delhi NCR . He can be reached on mtjo89@gmail.com. The views expressed are personal)