Noted journalist urges women to fight for equality

By C V Joseph

Bengaluru, March 9, 2020: Women want equal opportunities, equal wages, equal respect and dignity even if it is for one day of the year. They can achieve this only if they stand up together.

This was asserted by noted television journalist Faye D’Souza during Bangalore archdiocese’s celebrations of the International Women’s Day.

Around 400 women from various parishes of the archdiocese collaborated with its women’s commission to organize the celebrations on March 8 at Palana Bhavan in Bengaluru, capital of Karnataka state.

D’Souza, the keynote speaker, spoke on the topic ‘New Age Woman.’ She said society gives freebies to women on one day but forgets about them the rest of the year.

Women, she said, are always in service for others at home, outside and in the communities. However when it comes to their issues, society expects women to stand up for themselves. Both men and women should engage in the struggle for gender equality, she added. She also said that women should support other women to achieve the objective.

Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore, who led the opening Mass and chaired the celebrations, said women’s strength is immeasurable urged them to continue to stand with the Church to work for the less privileged, the needy and those in prison.

The prelate urged women to improve their presence and involvement in all spheres of life and achieve equality. The archbishop also apologized for the wrongs done to women in the Church.

Donna Fernandez, who spoke on ‘Each for Equal,’ stressed the struggles of women and referred to the present scenario across the country.

According to her, the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Citizens Register would become most challenging for women — widows, separated and unmarried — along with orphans.
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Fernandez reminded women that the protest against the citizenship law is another freedom struggle for everyone irrestpective of religions. She urged all present to join the march and fight for women’s presence and identity.

Monsignor S Jayanathan, vicar general of the archdiocese, described Jesus Christ as the foremost proponent of equality, referring to the woman at the well in Samaria in the New Testament. Jesus instructed the Samaritan woman to break stereotypes and made her the first woman evangelist who brought the entire village to listen to Jesus. The priest asserted that the Church has no existence without women.

Brinda Adige, the women commission’s joint secretary, stressed the need for giving women positions of decision making in all spheres. “This would be a huge step forward in our journey towards making our homes, workplaces, churches and communities more safe and just for all,” said Adige, who is also a social activist.