50% off on the total bill amount if paid by a woman.
20% discount on all products for Women's Day.
These are just two examples of the numerous offers and discounts I received on the happy and prosperous occasion of International Women's Day. Social media was filled with progressive advertisements showing what all women do, can do, and have been doing for themselves and the betterment of society.
Marketing campaigns, songs, photoshoots, guest panels, talking and celebrating our opinions, gender, body, hard work, and identity. The whole world on March 8th "celebrated" women.
Reduced to a Discount Code
Women's Day, by far and large, is a lucrative opportunity to create a great marketing campaign to boost your sales.
It is a gimmick and a glittery front that hides the woes and raw truth that still plague the women of India and the world around.
Our struggles rather than being acknowledged are "celebrated" through a marketing campaign or a discount code, whose end goal is to bring in more sales.
The irony is that when I said to my male and female friends - because women can also be misogynists - why I don't like the so-called celebration of women's day, I was told that I was "whining over little things" and "have a problem with everything."
However, no matter what anyone says, I have some numbers that do not lie. Don't believe me? See for yourself.
I present to you some well-researched hard facts:
According to the 2021 Gender Gap Index, India ranked 140 out of 156 countries and has fallen 28 places since 2020.
Female workers, who had to leave work during the pandemic, are yet to return bringing down the Female Labour Force Participation rate to 9.4% between September -December 2021. This is the lowest that the rate has touched since 2016 when it was first compiled.
There has been a decline on the political empowerment front as well. Apparently, according to the 2021 Gender Gap Index, there has been a sharp fall in the number of women ministers from 23.1% in 2019 to 9.1% in 2021.
According to an ADP study titled 'People at Work 2021: A Global Workforce View', 65% of the women, who took up a new role or additional responsibilities received a bonus or pay rise when compared to 70% of men.
These are just of the aspects that were surveyed and studied. So, rather than working on things that matter, we get a day full of referral vouchers, coupon codes, discounts, tokens, and empowering advertisements that would eventually win an award at the end of the day.
A Pinkwashed Day With the Same Inequality
I do not have a problem with Women's Day. I have a problem that it is celebrated one day under a pile of tokenism and gifts thrown as consolation towards us.
Women have gone through decades of struggles to achieve what they have today and it feels nice to be appreciated and acknowledged. However, it is demeaning to reduce that appreciation to a single promotional code with the ultimate goal to earn revenue.
Bringing change is not an overnight phenomenon. We have to stay at it for days and years to make it a reality. So, rather than giving us discount coupons, support us every day in our personal and professional lives. Recognize our effort and hard work every day.
Even on International Women's Day, many working females have to balance office and home without any help. We fight the wage gap in all industries. Our life is an everyday struggle, so celebrating Women's Day is just hypocrisy. Giving us face creams at half price for one day does not resolve the core issues in any way. We wake up to the same problems every day - even on Women's Day.
Celebrate Us Every Day
On International Women's Day:
There are still large groups of women who do not have a voice of their own. All the glitz and glamour do not reach them.
Some women are beaten and insulted regularly.
Women are still considered impure when they menstruate.
Women are still afraid for their safety inside and outside their homes.
Women are still considered the sole responsible entity for maintaining the decorum of marriage, home, and parental duties.
These things can be fixed, only when Women's Day is celebrated every day. Through actions and support and not just coupon codes. Patriarchy does not affect just women, it affects men too. However, that story is for another day. For now, let's take one step at a time. Let us exist without questions, judgments, and opinions.