VARIOUS MOVEMENTS AND AGITATIONS SEEN FOR WOMEN’S AWAKENING

Efforts have always been made for women’s awakening and freedom. Since this question arose regarding human rights these sparks were seen in many countries of the world. The medium may have been some female, yet this forest for engulfed the entire world. As a result of this at least today she breathes in an atmosphere of freedom. For centuries women have been downtrodden, insulted and demeaned and thus at last today she is raising her voice against ancient blind beliefs, undesirable trends handed down from generations together etc. Today we stare in front of us at a radiant bright form of women’s awakening and women’s freedom movement. At its roots dwell the legends of world women struggling to uplift her sisters the world over. For attaining equal rights for the 1st time in the annals of world history Rome’s women had blown the bugle in the year 43 BC. It was carried out under the leadership of Hotenesia who was the daughter of a well known Roman lawyer. She had placed one single question in front of her countries political leaders holding highest posts in the government. She asked as to why in comparison to men women were looked down upon and detested by all? As far as capabilities and capacity to work she can compete successfully with any male. Then why is it that she is not given good education and ignored as far as handing over important government posts is concerned? Her own father was known to endorse these views. Although at that time she got only partial success yet this proved to be a potent spark to induce world women awakening programs the world over in later years to come. In those times one scholarly woman named Christine D P Sen via her writings and poems induced thoughts in the psyche of people by saying that without elevating the condition of world women via literacy, culture and civility no country can attain true all round progress. In newspapers and magazines she called upon world women not to remain illiterate and uncultured just because circumstances were not conducive. Instead she should make whole hearted efforts to lead in fields like education, modern science and medicine. Those women who were ready to do all this were gathered together to carry out a women’s literacy campaign and in it thousands of women participated zestfully. In the writings of Britain’s radiant, brilliant and articulate orator Mary Montague there was life force that filled up all movements of world women’s awakening. She had deep faith that women cannot ever be called mediocre as far as religion, ethics, society, politics etc is concerned. In both men and women intellectual, bodily and mental prowess is equal. They opine that nature has not rendered demeaned in comparison to males. In the eyes of God there is no bias. In fact it is males who out of sheer bias/prejudice have lorded over woman so as to relegate them to bondage. Hence world women! Awaken! Fight for your basic human rights. Do so as long as you do not get equal rights as men. These radiant words of Mary Montague awakened other women of France like Olamb D Gose, Ross Lokamb, Marie Woolstoncraft and Mary Radcliffe. As a result great world renowned books were authored like ‘A Vindication of the Right of Women’ and ‘Declaration of the Right of Women’. Up till the year 1850 New Zealand women did not get right to vote, imbibe higher education and in governing the country. As a result a British born woman Mary Muller fought for equal rights for women. She personally had discussions with government officials regarding this. Since she was a daughter of a judge everyone heard her intently. As per requirement in order to show assent and in order to meet women of every community she visited various homes and inform them about future programs for equal rights. In very emotional words she printed a pamphlet called ‘An Appeal to the Men of New Zealand’. Every male who read this shed silent tears. In this pamphlet she had very sensitively described the contemporary condition of women and how men behaved atrociously with them. This pamphlet in fact gave birth to a thought revolution as a result of which the male fraternity enjoying high posts themselves agreed to reform the dire condition of women, render them highly cultured and hand them over their rights. Ultimately in 1884 a law was designed wherein it was declared that women will enjoy equal rights as men do. Britain’s Emilan Packerst is also famous for agitating for women’s rights virtually on a war footing. When she along with Annie Kenny requested the government to reform the demeaned state of women the answer was in the negative. As a result under her leadership 10000 women protested together in Manchester. In order that this protest march fails, the a women protestors were attacked and wounded. They were thrown down from stairs and some women died too in the process. This episode was published in various newspapers of the world in 1906 under the heading ‘The government’s inhuman principles’ and sentences like ‘there are no words to describe such heinous acts’ too were published in bold letters. In this protest march a woman called Emily Davidson was crushed to death by the king’s horse and thus she died a martyr. In protest England’s young, middle age and old ladies came down in the streets and vowed to fast till death. Ultimately the government had to accede to their demands and a permanent law was enacted to give women equal rights. This was a 1st and very important chapter in the world women’s awakening program. A German woman called Jenny Hirak for the first time translated the well known book ‘Subjection of Women’ written by the renowned philosopher John Stuart Mills. For this she was highly revered by Germans. Her colleague Elik Selman was the first woman who by writing a thesis on the condition of woman from Berlin University attained the Ph.D. degree. In her writings she clarified regarding the condition of women in all nations of the world and depicted how she works harder than men and how despite contributing more for more production she is given less pay and respect. Many countries on the basis of this thesis amended their laws in favor of women. In this thesis too one finds a sordid description of women of India who had to undergo Sati or burn herself to death on her husband’s funeral pyre, child marriage, dowry system and rendering small girls pregnant. Apart from the above mentioned women there are other leading world women like France’s Jean Deroyan, Maria Derasmus, Avertine, Ardt, Maria, Verana, Canada’s Emily Stowe, Lilian Thomas, Mary Crawford, Belgium’s Mary Popleen, India’s Sarojini Naidu, Dr Madhulakshmi, Kamala Nehru, Swarup Rani, Kasturba, Pakistan’s Begum Jahanara, Shahnawaz, Turkey’s Halide Ediv, Adiner and Indonesia’s Maria Ulfa Santhoso, Mrs. Harhap C Avondo who worked relentlessly by lighting the fire of world women awakening, liberation and women’s freedom either directly or indirectly and carried out various programs and agitations for the same in their countries. In reality the bugle of world women’s awakening has already been sounded. Regarding this the 21st century has been titled ‘Mother’s Century’. In the auspicious hour of Era Transformation with reference to women’s awakening by taking up creative tasks everyone can attain that benefit wherein not only will our own name be etched in golden letters in the annals of world history but that we will attain that gift of the divine creator (God) too for which he had sounded the conch of transformation. If we insist on ignoring this call not only will we fall in the eyes of our future generation but that will be left bereft of the gifts of Lord Mahakal. Hence wherever so far the conch of women awakening program has not been sounded which is in the interest of world humanity, it must be sounded loudly immediately. It is the righteous duty of this era to render women healthy bodily and help them become brilliant and sacredly sensitive at the intellectual and psychic level. This then is the definite desire and aspiration of Lord Mahakal.