Mercy is all set to pamper herself on Women’s Day

There is a proverb which says “Men build houses, women build homes.” No person will disagree. But today’s women do not just make homes; they walk hand in hand with their male counterparts professionally and also manage their homes and families. Debarati Mukherjee spoke to women from her city and asked them how they were celebrating Women’s Day.

Mercy Borkakoty, a young journalist, believes working women are no different. “I am not of the view that just because I work, I can afford to neglect my home. Today’s women are known for their multi-tasking abilities. It is difficult for us, but women are the pillars of the house.” She adds, “For me balancing work and home needs some calculation. From planning dinner to  taking care of the house, I have been doing all these for the last three years, but not at the cost of my editorial deadlines!”

Neha: celebrate Women’s Day every day

Like most women, Mercy too has her set plans to enjoy women’s day, “This women’s day I plan to pamper myself with a lot of love and care just to make myself feel good because I am a woman.” However to stop violence against women, Mercy expresses, “We just need to be bold and raise our voices against crimes against women.”

Neha Kulkarni, a passionate young writer, says, “Why should there be just a single day to celebrate womanhood? I think women should be appreciated for all that they do irrespective of any dates.” She adds, “What’s the point of celebrating women’s day when everyday women around the globe are victims of violence? We should try and put an end to it when we can.”

However, Neha points out ways through which every woman can celebrate Women’s Day in the true sense. “When a crime against a woman happens, we just protest but there are no strict steps taken to punish the offenders. We need to work hard to make governments implement stricter laws. It is only then that the perpetrators will think twice before harming a woman.”

Harsha: it is time for action

Neha also believes today’s woman is a versatile genius. “How you manage it is what sets you apart. I believe that time management is the key to maintaining the balance between work and home. There are times when you cannot completely stick to the routine but it’s always beneficial to work around a structure as it not only saves time but also helps in completing the task in the best possible manner. I always keep my weekends reserved for my family. And most importantly I also love keeping some “me” time for myself which helps to discover and rejuvenate the lady in me!”

Harsha Kawadhkar Raghute is an IT professional and a mom of a baby girl. She says, “Just celebrating International Women’s day is nothing big.  Women should ensure that we are respected and treated like a lady everyday.” Keeping in tune with the theme of the International women’s day, “A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women”, Harsha too believes it is time for action. “Educating girls to be bold and courageous is all what we need at this hour. Unless we are brave to voice our protests we will never be able to safeguard womanhood.”

Being a mom as well as a working woman with big responsibilities at both ends, Harsha says, “It is difficult to make both ends meet.” She explains her success plan, “I somehow try to make the clock run after me. I wake up in the morning, get things ready for my baby, organize the house, cook and leave for office. During lunch I ensure am at home with my baby and take care of her. Soon after, I go off to work again and make sure my work is done before I call it a day. It is hectic but I feel good when I see that am efficient to make my daughter smile and my team happy with my work.”

Kuheli: charity begins at home

Kuheli Dey Sarkar is a working mother of a 2-year-old baby boy and the wife of a busy man! “I don’t like to mix my responsibilities at any point of time. When am at work I always give in my 100 percent and when I am at home am fully there for my family.” Being a mother of a boy Kuheli believes educating men to respect women is the most important step to end violence against women. “We all know charity begins at home. So it is essential we stop any sort of domestic violence to make our families healthy, so that tomorrow when our children grow up they will know how to respect each other, especially women. It is mostly seen that men who rape a woman have had a bad childhood, so let’s curb this first to stop violence against women.”

Mandira Sharma, a 45-year-old doctor in Pune has a unique plan for Women’s Day. “Like every year, this year too I will head on to a NGO and spend the day with the kids there. I will try my best to make the girls understand how they should deal with pervert men and educate them about being a woman. On the other hand, boys too need to be educated to respect women. I think if we all do our bit to promote sex education among our children and teach them to respect humanity, we can make the world a better place.”

Blessed with a son and daughter, Dr. Mandira Sharma says, “I want to set myself as an example for my children. I always look forward to see my daughter doing well as a woman and my son with his head held high because he knows how to respect women.” However Dr. Sharma adds, “Managing home, the hospital, my private clinic and children was not an easy job but I had to comply. There were days when I could not take a shower properly or eat my meals on time but I never compromised on my responsibilities.”

Finally, as Hollywood actress and comedian Roseanne Barr says, “The thing women have yet to learn is, nobody gives you power. You just take it.” Happy Women’s day.

Author: Debarati Mukherjee

Editor : Manasi Gopalakrishnan