A couple of years ago, as my flight was about to land, the announcement came in: Hope you have enjoyed the flight today – Today being Women’s day, our crew including the pilot and flight engineers are women. And it was a very safe, smooth, and comfortable landing. Women are capable of any mission here on earth as well as high in the space.
In contrast: Can you imagine that till 1844 women were not allowed in Universities in the UK, including Oxford and Cambridge? Would you accept the fact that prior to 1903 women were not considered for the Nobel Prize. Madam Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in 1903 for Physics and later for Chemistry in 1911.
In these days you are witnessing how women could become a force to reckon with – The demonstration against CAA and related issues right in our midst.
Women have come up from patient to precision work: Women could do any job as good as men, even better. Down the corridor of time you could recall that two areas where women were and are preferred. Earlier when telephone operator system was there, women were telephone operators. Most of you may not know this: Dial phone and even cellphone were not even in the wild dreams of people. At that time, when you lift the receiver, the operator would ask for the number you want to be connected and she would connect you to the person you want to talk. They are so enduring and their patience was the reason. The other area is being nurses. They are preferred because of their motherly care and concern in taking care of patients. And now we see them doing any precision types of jobs. Recently you might have read in the newspapers that women could be confirmed as army officers just like men till their retirement. Women could compete with men at all levels.
Women have risen from home to nation: At one point of time there were three contemporary powerful women Prime Ministers in the world: Indira Gandhi in India, Golda Meir in Israel, and Sirimavo Bandaranayake in Sri Lanka – They built up and strengthened their respective nations. In the recent times the Prime Minsters of the UK, Poland, Greece, Namibia, Haiti, Latvia, Peru, New Zealand, and so many other countries are well appreciated as leaders.
In our ancient Tamil history we talk about Rani Mangamma, who was the Queen in Madurai in the 17th century. She was popular in administration – Roads and avenues made, temples built, and many other public works done by her are still in use and she is gratefully remembered for her foresightedness. She was known for her diplomatic and political skills and for her successful military campaigns. You could think of Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi: She was one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and became the symbol of resistance to the British Raj in India. Think of Kannagi, the legendary Tamil woman who forms the central character of the Tamil epic Silapathikaram (probably in the 4th Century). Kannagi faces the Pandyan King of Madurai single handedly; proves and protests the injustice leading to the death of her husband, Kovalan; and curses the king and city of Madurai resulting in the death of the King and the destruction of Madurai city. There is also a legend that in the 9th century, that is during the Middle Ages, there was Pope Joan. According to the story it was a woman who disguised herself as a man and rose in ranks in the Vatican and she even became the Pope.
Women could rise from the earth and could fathom the space: The first woman in space is a Soviet cosmonaut Velentina Tereshkova who flew to the space in 1963. Kalpana Chawla is the first woman of Indian origin who flew first on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997. Ever since many countries have sent up many women to explore the space.
What do these historical facts imply? We could assume that women have clear thinking with affective maturity. They are capable of perseverance amidst obstacles and they are persons of resilience in times of trials. The reed on the banks of the river is an example of resilience. In storms and hurricanes, even banyan trees would be uprooted but not the reeds on the banks of the river – They could bend a little for the gentle breeze, and perhaps a bit more for strong winds but they stand up again with courage and confidence. There are ordained pastors and bishops in other denominations of Christian churches. In the recent times you might have heard in the media that the Pope seems to be open to ordain women priests in the Catholic Church. All these show that women are on par with men on any count.
A woman when she becomes a mother, she is a symbol of goddess. I am reminded of a beautiful conversation between a man and a woman in a caste-ridden society:
The man asks the woman: What caste do you belong to?
She replies: As a woman or as a mother?
He says: Ok, tell me about both.
She makes a statement: When a woman becomes mother, she is casteless.
The astonished boy shots back: How is it possible?
Here comes the classical answer from her:
- When a mother cleans the excreta of her child, she becomes a Sudra, identifying herself with the Untouchables.
- As the child grows, she protects the child from external unwanted and harmful influences – There she turns into a Kshatrya.
- With the growth of the child, her caste also changes. She imparts good values, teaches good culture, and trains the child in good behavior – There she becomes a Brahmin.
- After education, the child starts earning and the mother guides him/her regarding how to spend and to spend – Then she becomes a Vaishya.
She becomes all for the child and she becomes the goddess of the child. The man became dumb struck. A bright light of respect splashed in his eyes and he felt proud of all women as mothers.
As we celebrate women’s day we need to become aware of our ability and power. At the same time we need to be aware of social undercurrents that could affect us and we should take caution for the future especially with regard to privacy and security. Today we need to pick up skill training in order to sail through today’s complex world. Women need to pick up expertise in marshal arts for self-defense, in times of need.
I used to encourage women students, when I was the director of LICET, to study well and to excel in their professional training but then to work at least part-time, even after they get married. Many study well but they are confined to the house after marriage. I remember the story of a young couple just before taking off after the marriage ceremonies. The father of the girl told his new son-in-law not to make his daughter shed tears. The boy immediately replied: Uncle, I shall do the needful – As soon as I go home, I cancel all the cable TV connections so that your daughter need not watch the serials and shed tears. You study today in order to become teachers, employees, administrators, executives, social and political leaders, etc. Keep that goal in mind always; work for it and live out your dreams.
Paulo Coelho expresses his philosophy in most of his novels, namely you have enormous power within but you just need to decide to make use of it. In his best selling novel The Alchemist he says: “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” – He would also add: “Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.” So, know what you want to become in life and strive constantly to achieve the same. As Dr Abdul Kalam would say: “Dream. Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts result in action.” Have the courage to dream for your life. And remember: “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
Hence, know your inner strength, become aware of your capacity and capability, imbibe the courage to follow your dream, and the world is yours and you could even go beyond the clouds and space. Happy Women’s Day.
Francis P Xavier SJ
09 Mar 2020