The International Women’s Day this year was no different from that of the previous years. Rallies and whatnots were held to celebrate the womanhood. Women seemed to be pretty excited and happy in their role and presence and were inclined to having a gala time with fellow women. I, with a firm belief in an egalitarian society, saw the day to be perhaps a bit overrated and a stub on womanhood.

Everyday hardcore feminists and sexists fight for equality in the society between the two sexes. While they try to do that, they become more and more biased and see things just like they wish to. Very true, women do not make up the topmost positions in organizations and are still treated as the second-class citizens in many parts of the world. But we should see some changes that are globally happening – albeit gradually. We cannot expect things to change overnight. What needs to be wiped out from the world is the mentality that men are superior to women. This will take a very long time. But a small proportion of both men and women are moving up towards this equality we dream of.

Coming back to the hardcore women supporters, who celebrated the womanhood, this is to tell them there is no need to do so. It is no different being a woman than it is being a man. Rallies and programmes show how we are still the second sex, first sex being men. We need equality; we need no special days, which still signify how we lag behind. Being a woman is just at par with being a man. We need to wipe this difference or the perception of the difference that is hindering our thoughts about women uplift. A woman needs uplift as long as we take a woman to be inferior to men.

 I continually say it to many people, again as a firm believer in equality, that women need no special treatment. A woman is just the same as a man. We do not need special quota on job applications, college applications or public vehicles. If a man can qualify with his brains and intellect for a job or a college seat so can a woman. If a man can stand during his entire bus or train journey on his two legs, so can a woman. The special privileges for the disabled, underprivileged and old are fair, disregarding their gender, and they have all the rights to take over anyone’s position regarding jobs or college seats. They can ask anyone to vacate a seat for them because their health conditions fail them. Every woman, however, does not need these privileges because she is strong enough.

As the fight for women rights still continues, we need to ask ourselves if this is leading us to where our goal actually is. But more importantly the validity of our goal needs to be rechecked. We are trying to achieve a society with equal rights, opportunities, freedom, duties and responsibilities for both sexes free of stereotypes and judgments. However, as this entire women thing has now become a globally burning issue with more and more people working or trying to work for securing women’s position in whatsoever place, the entire issue is losing its original ground and getting hackneyed. No longer does it sound like a burning issue, but just an excuse for people to start discussions, opportunities for NGOs to make money, cases for lawyers to attend to, and topics for normal people to talk about.

It is for us to understand sooner than later that women are just as equal as men. We have never been below them and perhaps will have to rebel if this is denied to us. But as now our activists are taking us to another level altogether, we should remind them that they are actually doing what they presume to oppose. If it is the male dominance they perceive as wrong, they should not long for a female dominated society. We want to end the battle of sexes, not begin them over again with female dominance in the future generations.