Women’s Day and Women’s Power in India

     Happy (day after) International Women's Day all! Women's Day is a day that I feel very deeply. I feel happy and proud to be part of the badass community that all women create. In recent years, since the election of 2017, my Women’s Day vibe, and I’m sure the vibe of many other American women, has grown more intense. Women’s Day will always be about appreciatinga honouring women. Recently, it has also become something of a protest, or political statement. 366 days ago, on 2018’s IWD, purple was the decided “unity color”. I was sitting in my homeroom class of Mount Abe with a tube of purple lipstick. I drew the sign of women on the cheeks of my friends and a few guys who wanted in. We walked trough the hallway like a purple, feminist army highfiving all others wearing purple t-shirts.
     The word “women” has no one definition. Millions of lifestyles, opinions, and ambitions belong to the word. In the last few years I have gotten older and realized it was my time to start defining the world “women” for myself. My way of being a women involves Women’s March-ing every chance I get, it involves purple face paint on Women’s Day, it involves covering my nalgene with stickers depicting Wonder Woman punching Donald Trump in the face.
     In America, we are currently riding the women’s wave. We are protesting, we are speaking, we are demanding changes. Our style of womanhood is an outspoken and fearless one. This is a beautiful thing. I feel so lucky that as I grew up with strong women around me. I’m so grateful that I have as the experience of  walking in marches with women (and men of course) of all ages, races, sexualities, and abilities as we all screamed “This is what a feminist looks like!”
     This is absolutely correct. Feminism does look like that. However, through living in India, I have really understood that feminism can look like so many different things. People are quick to write India off as a place where women aren’t liberated. But this is wrong. People who say this are people who think there is one way to be a feminist. However, the most important principle of feminism is the to respect all women, and to respect the way in which they decide to define their womanhood. All women are valid. And all women who value other women, are badass feminists.
   
     From my very first week in India, I noticed the patriarchy. I noticed the way women were under appreciated. I saw how hard my host mom worked and how few, “thank you’s” she received. I noticed that men were served first at dinner parties while we girls served them. I noticed how women in India address their husbands with the respectful, formal “tumhi” pronoun while he adressed down to her as “tu”. I knew that girls had to wear conservative clothes. I met a 15 years old girl with a 2 years old baby and a 50 years old husband. I saw girls being side-eyed for buying tampons in the shop. I witness women holding their tongues in public. I’m so many little ways, women are degraded and silenced by society while men are shown that they are superior. This is true, and it breaks my heart. In India there is a sexism that has been a part of the culture since the country began. It can range from being insultingly and degrading but it can get unsafe and even deadly. In India this is acknowledged and work is being done to reverse this. I don’t think it would be untrue to say that some people in developed countries, such as America, see the inequality and stop there. They simply label the country as “third world” without truly knowing the country and certainly without taking any action to improve it. I arrived in India, I did see the inequality and it saddened me, but I didn’t close my eyes then. I kept observing, and soon saw the many positive sides.
     My host mom is an absolute feminist, and a strong role model to me. Not only does she work, but she works as a supervisor in the government division called “Women and Children’s Development”. She and her team provide health support both physical and mental to women with minimal resources. They care for pregnant ladies and their newborn babies. They provide free and comprehensive education to children who live in slum areas. They give menstrual products and fight against period shame. They use education as a tool to change society and empower vulnerable women and children. I truly adore my mom and all her coworkers. Every day they empower women and children.
     There is also a beautiful community of socially aware kids. It is teenage nature to wear, say, do, and be whatever we want, and this is true also in india! I have had so many wonderful discussions with my friends. We have talked about many subjects relating to women’s safety and equality in general and they always bring so many incredible point and teach me so much. The perspective of young Indian women is very interesting and absolutely spot on, because they are open minded and forward thinking while also fully understanding India’s history and the reasoning behind the societal ways. With two of my very best friends, Elisa a fellow exchange student from Italy, and Mansi an Indian teenager volunteering with afs we went to a rural school to raise awareness about periods. Mansi presented to the girls not only explaining mensturation but also instilling in the girls that shame has absolutely nothing to do with it. We talked to the girls, answered their questions, and took a bunch of photos while waving pads in the air like flags.
     My city, Nashik, recently held a marathon for women’s safety and equality. All runners ran in t-shirts advertising  equality. We ran together in the streets with flags or posters with inspirational quotes. After running there were performances and speeches. My favorite show was a dance done by elementary aged girls with swords dancing like warriors.
     India is on the brink or a big social shift. There are big events such as the marathons and school programs to raise money. There are also little trends of social awareness. There are boys who call their friends out for catcalling, there are young people who have adopted their mothers name as their maiden name, there are people with open minds slowly opening the minds of others.
     I am very lucky to be in a family where all members have liberated minds. I am lucky to have found friends who are passionate about social justice. I am also lucky to live in a city that is advocating and pushing for change. I have experienced sexism in India, most people have, but I have also experienced change and met many people who will effect more change.
     I am so happy to have been a part of Indian feminism. These strong Indian women may not have gotten lot of recognition or appreciation, but that that has made them even stronger today. The women’s wave in India may be a little quiet but that only means we should listen even more carefully.