Nishtha Shrestha

The adaptability of a woman is well-known. She is able to change her identity as per the labels; some voluntary and others an obligation. On March 8th, we celebrated women for their contributions, from raising the upcoming leaders to restoring a balance wherever they mark their spot. The 24 hour time limit ended but we women can continue the celebrations if we learn to support and encourage each other throughout the year.
Every woman is on their own path to discovering themselves. This path, however, is obstructed by timelines fixed by the society. While men have their own agendas for making women follow the schedule, women eliminate the possibility of a deviation by ridicule and criticisms. Those on the extremes of the curve of womanhood are subjected to ignorance and taken as an example for bad models for the gender.
Some of the ideas women reinforce include leadership belongs to men, 30 is the expiry date for women, fairness is the standard for beauty, etc. If young girls were not taught these ideas by the women of the household, we would have a society where women occupy the positions they truly deserve. For those girls who were raised by revolutionary parents, the challenge starts when they begin their higher education.
The stark contrast in the mindset of teachers and those at home confuses the adolescent mind. If female teachers at this point would intervene and show them the way to overcome the hurdles they once faced themselves, the workforce would have a higher percentage of women than the present. The sexual harassment at workplace is no new issue. It is difficult to challenge the stereotypes and even harder when educated women maintain this segregation in the organisation. The goal is not to achieve the standards set by men but to create a new level for women. Those girls who seek to reach this target have to fight both the men and sadly the women who add to the misery by disowning those who are likely to outshine them.
Every woman has a talent which gets hidden by the constant comparison within the gender. We are fighting a dual battle in the society. The fight against patriarchy is needed to end the discrimination against women.
But this hostility we have developed for each other has no place if we are to raise strong girls. There are beautiful friendships that deserve applause but a handful of such bonds are ignored when the majority of women are busy competing against each other.
We question our worth when we see another woman achieving a similar dream forgetting that the circumstances are not equal. Only in an idealistic society can we expect everyone to live the same life and probably only then a fair comparison is possible. Each of us are unique. If we can pay attention to this trait, then women in leadership, which is the theme for this year, will not be limited to slogans alone.