Bhishma, the warrior hero in Mahabharata, had once advised Yudhishtira - "A society that does not respect women will
perish." It was this lack of respect towards the fairer sex that caused the two great wars in our Hindu epics
the 18-day battle in Mahabharata after Draupadi was humiliated in front of all the men and in Ramayana, the war in Lanka when Sita was kidnapped by Ravana.
Even Chanakya refers to the priority that must be given to women during a crisis:
"From a dangerous situation he should move away with effort, after removing the womenfolk." (7.5.46)
In other words, even when one has to run away from disaster. or a dangerous situation, he should do so only after rescuing the women. One may ask, where is the need for such lessons wben there's so much gender equality?
Well, ask your own female friends and relatives whether they feel equal in society, and if any harassment aimed at their gender has ended completely.
Base your own decision on their answer. And if change in mindsets is a must, read on to see how we can respect and protect women in our daily lives:
.In Our Work Places
Today, the number of working women has increased in areas. Be it in the field of business, education, or civil services.
All of us have to interact with women. Remember that men and women think differently. It's a basic psychological difference.
When men and women work on a common project together, they bring in different perspectives. Now if you are the boss, see to it that there is a gender mix in every project. If you are an employee, inculcate not only respect towards women, but also a receptiveness to their point of view.
.In Our Homes
While a house is incomplete without a woman, the women in our family also have talents that need to be given wings.
Identify their talents and give them freedom to explore their potential, regardless of whether it's your daughter, wife, sister, or mother.
.As A Nation
Even though women have proved themselves in every field, we still have a long way to go. Just look at the number of female infanticides we still hear about, the low percentage of girl literacy, the prevailing evil practice of dowry, etc.
No social work can be complete till women are empowered. We refer to our country as Mother India', but hardly allow her to have any daughters.
Swami Vivekananda had rightly said Educate the girl child and the nation will awaken."