To The Great Men & Women..

“The difference between a broken community and a thriving one is the presence of women who are valued” - Michelle Obama

Cheers to all the Women. Three cheers to all the Men who support, love and value women in their lives.

On personal level, I am more than blessed with the best males in my life. My father who has been my support system and my hype man for everything that I ever dreamt of or every small win I've ever gotten, My brother who has never made me feel any different just because am a girl and the biggest factor in making me strong mentally & physically, My husband who believes in me more than I believe in myself at times and provides so much care & comfort at home that I’m charged to face the world again the next morning, My son who thinks my mom can do anything in the world since she is a CEO & the best Mom??.

I have also been surrounded by so many strong solid women. My mom has such clarity in thoughts that she is running 50 years ahead of all of us. My Mom in law, my sisters-in-law have so strong personalities and opinions that it intimidates a few weak hearted men and women around. The wisdom, the strength, the grace, and the beauty of all the women in my life is difficult to comprehend in words.

On professional front, I’m blessed with managers who never stopped me from voicing my opinions. Not that I would have stopped anyway. My career has never suffered because I'm a woman, thanks to my bosses who have been indifferent to gender and driven by merits. To have a work environment where there is no disparity should be basic but sadly in reality is still not so basic.

I have had experiences of a few male colleagues who thought I am at times too aggressive FOR A LADY in asking for what I want from the organization or my team or my colleagues. It’s like Madonna says “A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That’s why they don’t get what they want”. I can not back off because someone thinks I don’t deserve something or there is a defined way of communication I need to follow because of my gender. My feminine side is a separate business and is nobody else’s business.

A woman can choose to wear Pink, Blue or Black at office and nobody should have a problem with that. A man can choose any of them too and again nobody should comment on that. Nobody should have a problem with their manager because of their gender, age or personal choices. It is not OK to pass comments on someone’s looks, dressing sense, race or sex. Being conservative does not give anyone a right to be inhuman. Everybody should apply their set of rules in terms of their preference to themselves and that’s about it. That is all the power everyone needs to have.

Women are not complete on their own and neither are men. Everyone needs support both at home and at workplace. I need it. My husband needs it too. My brother, my boss, my colleagues both male & female need support of each other, their family and so on. It doesn't make any of us weak. What makes us weak though is applying different set of rules for different genders. Nobody else can define what I should or should not dream of. I will not change my principles for someone else who is gender biased. No man or woman should!

The only differentiation in gender roles we are allowed to expect are the ones by nature. It is a privilege to be a mother granted by nature only to females. All the pain and all the benefits that come with it are hers. Menstruation and Menopause are hers. The pros and cons with different body structure are for both the genders to appreciate. Beyond that everyone is just human.

We have come a long way in this journey, and we still have a long way to go. Here's an appreciation and thanks to every man and woman in my life taking right steps in this direction.

Happy International Women’s Day everyone!