Change is possible…! BUT is Change happening?

Change is possible…! BUT is Change happening? Discrimination and violence against women and girls must stop….! Common Call by Dr. Balasandilyan, Thought Leader and CEO of www.visionunlimited.in M-9840027810. e: balasandilyan@yahoo.com

It is a shame…stunning • In India in the last 10 years 20 thousand cases have been filed for atrocities against women including sexual harassment. • Lots of such instances have not been registered/complained or brought to light. Salute to Women

What's going on? • What is causing these trends (and what can we all do to reverse them?) • In the recent gender equality conference and research done among 187 countries, India ranks 134th in treating women not so equally/fairly/well. Salute to Women

It’s not an accomplishment! • ‘The Guardian’ magazine says among G20 countries, India is surely unsafe for women to stay. • A popular NGO related to laws on women complains that Certain countries like Afghan, Kango, Somalia are unsafe for women. And in this list India is also included. Salute to Women

What is worrying? • Sexual harassment to women children especially in the class room has been happening in a very big way of late and this is worrying every parent, citizen and of course – women. Salute to Women

It is a fact …it is said • 53% of the girl children in some way or other are meeting sexual harassment in the society – including neighbors, teachers, classmates, strangers and family members. • Silence has been the answer or solution so far…to these issues. Salute to Women

Let us be aware… • In India every 40 minutes a woman or girl is pushed to sexual harassment or a related issue. • Every 27 minutes a girl or woman is teased or provoked. • Relatives, neighbors, social bad elements, thieves and robbers, known/unknown people, teachers – no one is an exception to this list. Salute to Women

In our own country… earlier… • The status of women in early Hindu society was an enviable one. They could avail of the highest learning and there were many seers and philosophers among them. Ghosha, Apala, Lopamudra, Vishwvara, Surya, Indrani, Yami, Romasha – all these names highlight the position and the esteem which Hindu women enjoyed in the Vedic period. Salute to Women

Manu Dharma Shastra • Manu's saying that – "YatranaryastupujyanteramantetatraDevata, yatraitaastunapujyantesarvaastatrafalaahkriyaah" Manusmriti 3.56 – which translated reads : "whenever women are given their due respect, even the deities like to reside there and where they are not respected, all action remains unfruitful." Salute to Women

Scriptures say… • Several women sages and seers are mentioned in the Upanishads, the philosophical part of the Vedas, notable among them being Gargi and Maitreyi. The Sanskrit word for female teachers as Acharyā (as opposed to Acharya for teacher and Acharyini for teacher's wife) reveal that women were also given a place as Gurus. • The HaritaDharmasutra (of the Maitrayaniya school of Yayurveda) declares that there are two kind of women: Sadhyavadhu who marry, and the Brahmavaadini who are inclined to religion, they can wear the sacred thread, perform rituals like the agnihotra and read the Vedas. Bhavabhuti'sUttararamacharita 2.3 says that Atreyi went to Southern India where she studied the Vedas and Indian philosophy. Shankara debated with the female philosopher Ubhaya Bharati, and Madhava'sShankaradigvijaya (9.63) mentions that she was well versed in the Vedas. TirukkoneriDasyai (15th century) wrote a commentary on Nammalvar'sTiruvaayamoli, with reference to Vedic texts like the TaittiriyaYajurveda. Salute to Women

In Women’s name…and their sake • Country – Motherland (Bharath Matha) • Language- Mother tongue • Rivers (like Cauvery, Godhaveri, Narmada, Ganga, Sindu, Saraswathi all in Women’s name) in India • Even in Music – we say “Sruthi” Matha. • Cattles make the sound of “Amma” or “Maa”. • Even a Cow is considered as God. Salute to Women

Women who made India proud • Sita Devi • Draupadi • Kunti • Shakuntala • Sant Meera • Jijabai • Jhansi Rani • AandaalNaachiyar Salute to Women

India produced… • Indira Gandhi • Shakuntala Devi • M.S.Subbulakshmi • LataMangeshkar • Parveen Sultana • KishoriAmonkar • D.K.Pattammal • Kasutirbai • Padma Subramaniam • Mallika Sarabhai • Jayalalitha • Sushma Swaraj Salute to Women

The list continues… • P.T.Usha • KiranBedi • KalpanaChawla • SaniaMirza • SainaNehwal • SumatiIyer • Mari kom Salute to Women

Indian Women entrepreneurs • KiranMazumdar Shaw • EktaKapoor • Aishwarya Nair • Swati Parimal • RajashreePathi • Radhika Roy • Farah khan • VandanaLuthra • IndraNooyi • Indu Jain • Priya Paul • Mallika Srinivasan • NeelamDhawan Salute to Women

Saluting the brave men who fought for women in India • Raja Ram Mohan Roy • IshwarChander • Vidyasagar • JyothiraoPhule • HaribilasSarda • Maharishi Karve • BhimraoAmbedkar • Jawaharlal Nehru • Thanthai Periyar • MahakaviBharathi Salute to Women

Let us respect (Sarvam Shakti Mayam) • Our Mother • Wife • Sister • Daughter • Grand daughter • Neighbor lady • Women colleagues • Women teachers • Women students • Women leaders • All women in our life Salute to Women

Thank you for watching and supporting the cause. Salute to Women

Change is possible…! BUT is Change happening?