Women Equality Day – 26th August

Women’s Equality Day is celebrated every year on 26 August to commemorate the passage of the 19th Amendment in the United States of America that provides equal rights to women including the right to vote.  Many organizations, workplaces, and institutions observe this day by organizing various events and programs that recognize women’s progress toward equality.

History of Women’s Equality Day

Women’s Equality Day was started by New Zealand in the year 1893. In the United States, on August 26, 1920, through the 19th Constitution Amendment, women got voting rights for the first time. Earlier there, women had the status of second-class citizens.  In 1971, following 1970 there was a nationwide Women’s Strike for Equality, and again in 1973, as the battles over the Equal Rights Amendment continued.

From 1971 to 26 August was celebrated as ‘Women’s Equality Day ‘ with the efforts of Bella Abzug, a female lawyer who constantly struggled to get the status of equality for women. She introduced a resolution to designate August 26 as Women’s Equality Day. In 1972, President Richard Nixon issued Proclamation 4147, which designated August 26, 1972, as “Women’s Rights Day” and was the first official proclamation of Women’s Equality Day.

Women had the right to vote only after independence in India, but the legal right to contest elections in panchayats and municipal bodies was achieved through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment by the efforts of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. As a result of this, women have more than 50 percent participation in panchayats of India today.

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Status of women in India

India has given women the right to vote equal to men since independence, but if we talk about real equality, the status of women is worth noting even after so many years of independence in India. Being a woman, she is forced to face inequality in her home and society. Whether it is being a daughter, wife, mother, or sister at home or being a girl in society. News such as molestation and rape of girls can be read in the newspapers, but among all these women who are being tortured in their own house just because she is a woman.

Suggested Read: The Changing Status Of Indian Women

Women today are competing with men on every front. Whether it is the matter of running the country or the matter of handling the house, even the responsibility of protecting the country, they are doing well. Women have fulfilled every responsibility with full devotion, but even today in most cases they have not achieved equality.

While Indira Gandhi as Prime Minister and Pratibha Devi Singh Patil as Women President has been in the country. On the power of Delhi, Congress Kishila Dixit, AIADMK President Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu, Mamata Banerjee, President of Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, and ‘Bahujan Samaj Party’ President Mayawati have earned a good name. Congress President Sonia Gandhi has been included among the most powerful women in the world.

If seen in the Parliament of the country, then Sushma Swaraj and Meera Kumar are also famous in Indian politics. In sectors such as the corporate sector, banking sector, women like Indira Nooyi and Chanda Kochhar have also proved their mettle. Even after some of these achievements, the success of women even today is less because of half-incomplete equality.

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Female literacy rate in India

“Educate one man, you educate one person, but educate a woman and you educate a whole civilization“ Mahatma Gandhi.

Women still lag behind men in literacy rates. In 2014 the overall literacy rate in India is 69.1 percent. In rural India, the literacy rate among females is 56.8 percent and in Urban India, it is 74.8 percent. In Government ‘Sakshar Bharat Abhiyaan‘ 2016-17 more women are enrolled in the program than men. India’s female literacy has gone up but is still 22 percentage points behind the world average.

The color for Women’s Equality Day is purple

Purple color is recognized to symbolize women. “Purple is the color of loyalty, constancy to purpose, unswerving steadfastness to a cause.” It’s also the color of dignity and self-respect and signifies bipartisanship. You can show solidarity on Women’s equality day by wearing purple color in many ways by wearing a purple outfit, a Purple scarf, Purple wristband. Wearing purple on this day will show your support towards women and gender equality.

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Every year on 26 August, ‘Women’s Equality Day‘ is celebrated, but on the other hand, the treatment of women with second-rate continues to this day. Even after six decades of independence, women in both rural and urban areas are facing second-rate violence. Instead of patting ourselves on the achievements of a few women of the country, we should also pay attention to the fact that women in our country are not only victims of discrimination in the office, But sometimes they also have to suffer sexual abuse. Cases of sexual violence in public places keep making headlines every day.

The importance of women’s role should be understood without the representation of a woman, work in any field cannot be properly and fully edited. We chose to embrace the change and grow as a people because it reflected our true values of respect for equality and the right for everyone’s voice to be heard.

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