By Sujata Jena

Bhubaneswar, March 8, 2020: “How are you celebrating women’s day?” a friend asked me. This raised a question in me — do we still need to celebrate International Women’s Day?

It is a debate that rages every March 8. It becomes a particularly louder conversation each year on International Women’s Day (IWD).

The earliest Women’s Day observance, called “National Woman’s Day,” was held on February 28, 1909, in New York City, organized by the Socialist Party of America at the suggestion of activist Theresa Malkiel.

Inspired by the American socialists, German activist Clara Zetkin and proposed to honour working women and those who have broken political and social boundaries in August 1910.

Since then, IWD has evolved in many parts of the world in different ways, whether in the form of celebration or protest.

IWD is a worldwide event that calls for gender equality. Some argue that women have already achieved equality; while others point out that the fight has just begun.

It is critical to highlight the challenges that still exist for women worldwide. The nature of the challenges for women is varied and broad.

In many parts of the world, women are treated in ways that allow for casual and systematic violence and deprivation. In other parts of the world, violence is more mysterious and perhaps harder to recognize.

Two years ago, a Thomson Reuters Foundation experts’ survey found a shocking result – India is the world’s most dangerous county for women to live on three of the topic questions–

The risk of sexual violence and harassment against women, the danger women face from cultural, tribal and traditional practices, and the country where women are most in danger of human trafficking including forced labor, sex slavery and domestic servitude.

We still have a gender-selective abortion in India. Women are still considered second-class citizens. We still have too few women in politics, in public offices. We still have missed, trafficked and murdered Dalit and tribal women. We still have a long way to celebrate gender equality, goal 5 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Women’s day is an occasion to shed light on the oppression and injustice our women face. It is important to mark the occasion publicly because it serves as a reminder to take a look at where we are—locally and globally.

Should catholic nuns celebrate Women’s Day?

Despite the gender policy of Catholic Bishops’ in India (CBCI), there is a huge gap in gender equality inside the church. Indian church undervalues nuns. Indian nuns fail to find a due place in the church hierarchy.

A ‘women religious consultation’ gathering noted that “caste and class along with toxic masculinity and femininity affect the church consciously and unconsciously.”

The patriarchy attitudes divide men and women, giving power and status to the males and leaving caring and nurturing to females.

In some parishes and church-based institutions, 85 percent of works performed by women religious but hardly the nuns are recognized publicly.

The church needs to move from dialogue into real action and rebuild systems that work for human rights and dignity of all.

The Bible makes it clear, right from the beginning, that God sees men and women as the equal. Both are made in His image (Genesis 1:27), both are separated from Him by sin and need a Savior (Romans 3:23).

Physically, of course, men and women are different. They have different anatomy, different hormones, different muscle mass, and more. Even so, God has ordained many of the same roles for men and women and many.

Men and women are indeed different, and they are entrusted with different work. But men and women are equally loved by God and equally His children.

Men and women are equally valuable and necessary. We should all seek to fulfill the unique purpose God has in store for us and do so in a way that communicates love and respect to others and brings glory to God.

International Women’s Day 2020 campaign theme is # Each for Equal. Individually, we are all responsible for our thoughts and actions – all day, every day.

Gender equality is not about a man and a woman to compete with each other. A man and a woman complement each other with who each one is.

The genuine, understanding and wisdom of women needs to be amplified, honored and celebrated every day and not just once a year.

IWD is a formal way to collectively stand up and celebrate the achievements of women at the same time to gain strength to continue the fight for equality.