Centenary  Celebrations
INTERNATIONAL  WOMEN’S  DAY
8th March 2010

………“Looking back to a tradition that represents ten decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development”.

“Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for all.”

As India is poised to make history on 8th March 2010, by immortalizing the Centenary Celebrations of the International Women’s Day with the grand collective gesture of passing the Women’s Reservation Bill, let us join hands and remember our past struggles, celebrate our achievements and turn to the future with hope and courage to face challenges and make the most of opportunities. Today, women worldwide step beyond national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political divides, to come together in celebration of the intelligence, strength, courage and beauty of women. Today we voice our opinions, our joys, fears and apprehensions that stem from the concern we have for ourselves and for the families that depend on our well being, awareness, social consciousness and economic independence; because today, the spotlight is on us and therefore we are bound to make the most of it!  Let us put all our soul and collective might in the theme for the Centenary Year:  “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All”.

For the past 100 years, International Women’s Day has been an occasion for calling for action toward genuine women’s equality. Today, Government and Media interests make us believe that feminism is no longer relevant; that women have achieved equality. Nothing can be far from the truth, because though women enjoy some freedom due to their sustained struggles, though some have had the privilege of being well educated and having good jobs, the reality is that this is just the cream,………. the majority under the creamy layer are still poor, uneducated and struggling to make both ends meet. Migrant labour has become the rule of the day, where women and girl children have   to leave the safety of their home to earn in order to support the family. Child labour, child abuse, exploitation of the girl child, kidnapping , honour killing, murder and mayhem have become so common that no one raises an eyebrow anymore!

“Poverty they say has a woman’s face”……. 70% of the world’s poor are women!    Today we are given the opportunity to pause and to reflect on the tremendous work left to be done in order to eradicate poverty and achieve equality for all the world’s citizens.  With health care, child care, and education becoming increasingly privatized and inaccessible, it becomes harder and harder to survive and care for our families...

“75% of the civilians killed in war are women and children.” …….. As we crib about rising prices and reservation for women, there are thousands of women and children out there in war torn countries like Congo, Rwanda, and Srilanka who are homeless, orphans and widows…..
There are thousands who have no shelter, food or clothes, and no surviving relatives in earthquake hit Haiti, Tornado hit China, typhoon hit Bangla Desh……
There are thousands who are refugees that undergo harassment and live in extremely inhuman conditions in refugee camps ……
There are Thousands who are used as human shields in warfare tactics…..

 I would say that “Suffering in all its vicious and terrible forms has a woman’s face…..”

Let us on this Day resolve to honor the resilience of women and their never say die attitude to life…………,

• to the women who never lose their courage or determination to fight and find food for survival of their loved ones,
• to the women who till their last breath strive on with a smile on their face…… we bow our heads in awe and respect……

We lustily cheer those who have made it big, and urge them to do all that they can in their power to help their hapless sisters…

Let us on this day Pray for courage and strength needed to face the future and to struggle against the atrocities and injustices perpetrated on women.

Let us ask for resilience, determination, fearlessness and the equanimity to face adversities, and at the same time see the sunny side of life, have the ability to laugh and not be bitter, to pursue arts, crafts, music and drama, to understand life better and to give expression to this understanding.

The history of women’s oppression and resistance has taught us that there aren’t any individual solutions to problems, and that our local struggles cannot be separated from a larger global context. It is in the collective mobilization against the forces blocking our true liberation and progress, that we find the “greatest expression of humanity and our greatest hope for future generations”.  (Merryn Edwards)

As you are celebrating Women’s Day in your own Churches and organizations let us wish each other a Great Day and shout at the top of our voices saying  “ Long Live our solidarity and Long live the International Women’s Day” .

Also read: http://www.nccindia.in/resources/view.htm?no=139

Issued on behalf of All India Council of Christian Women

- Susan Jacob,
Treasurer, All India Council of Christian Women (AICCW-NCCI)

It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing.
It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving."
Mother Teresa