On Women’s Day when many women across the country were being sexually assaulted, brutally beaten up by drunk husbands, cocooned in the hot kitchens and few even abandoned by their parents, various cities took to a positive vibe and celebrated the day, compensating for the loss of happiness in other women’s lives.

A women’s day pledge was administered at a function held in Thongum Poonga, Salem. Mr. Sandeep Nanduri distributed loan of Rs. 42 lakh to self-help groups and Rs. 60 lakh as assistance on rotation basis to them. Distribution of loans to the tune of Rs. 1.55 crore to 233 women Self Help Groups marked the celebrations in Namakkal. Rallies, meetings and cultural programmers marked the International Women’s Day celebrations in various parts of The Nilgiris on Friday. Coimbatore Regional General Insurance Employees’ Association also celebrated the day by conducting a seminar at Government College for Women in which problems of women in society and solutions were discussed.  To commemorate the day, Air India, for the second consecutive year, operated on Monday night an ultra long haul flight from Delhi to Toronto, with an all-woman crew.

Across Chennai, various competitions and games were held as part of Women’s Day and saw active participation by women from different backgrounds and of all age groups.

Women’s Day also saw sparks arising among youth on violence against women. It was also a day of mourning. The Delhi gang rape victim was granted the 2013 International Women of Courage Award in the US. Her heroic nature was talked about but she is no more and her nonexistence has been forgotten over the days. Women’s Day has become a platform for enjoyment but who explores the injustices faced by women in the society? Who takes steps to prevent the injustices faced by the uneducated sect of women? Who wants to eradicate the crime committed on women? The Day passes every other year but such questions remain unanswered. Women’s Day need not be a platform for finding the answers but it can be a platform for a change; a change that the country can witness and talk about for years, a change that needs to be made very soon.

-Aishvarya Gopalakrishnan