1 Men have already made a mess of the world.

Let them quit the field and make way for women. This is what a lady member of the Lok Sabha said one day during a discussion on the Womens Reservation Bill. There has been a strong demand from a section of the society to reserve at least 33 per cent scats for women in the legislative bodies like the Panchayats, Municipal Corporations, State Assemblies, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Even though the demand has already been accepted and implemented in the case of the Local bodies, it has yet to be accepted in the case of the other state and national level legislative bodies. Apart from the women themselves, several political parties arc also strongly supporting this idea of reservation of scats for women. They argue that ever since the creation of this world, women have always been at the receiving end. They have been exploited and burdened with the household duties and prevented from having a free, independent life or status of their own. They were confined to the four walls of the house, kept behind the veil and used as nothing more than sex dolls. With the advance of civilisation, women have proved then-worth and left men far behind in several fields. Some of them have inspired their male partners to do wonders in their respective fields. It is because of this only that it is said that behind every successful man there is a woman that makes him achieve great heights. In spite of all this women continue to be discriminated against Many a female foetus is destroyed and not allowed to see the light of the day. A majority of the female children are still not being sent to schools and arc being deprived of their right to education. Male chauvinists continue to treat them as inferior beings fit only to look after their children or household affairs. All this has led to a strong feeling that women should be given their proper place and status in the country. This can be possible if they are given some powers to control their own destiny. That is why the demand for reservation of seats for women in the state assemblies and the parliament is gaining strength day by day. The government is seriously trying to bring-in a law for the purpose but some groups opposed to the idea arc trying to postpone it. They have so far been able to scuttle the move to introduce the Womens Reservation Bill in the Parliament. The day is not far when this legislation would be enacted and women will get their rightful place and power in the social set up of this country.. . It is not a healthy sign for any nation to be divided so sharply on the issue of the status of a particular sex. Men and women are both complementary to each other like the two wheels of a vehicle. None can work without the support of the other. They must enjoy

equal status and none of them should have any grudge against the other. The main role of a woman is that of a mother. It is she who has to bear the greater burden and make more sacrifices. Give me good mothers, I shall give you a great nation, said Napoleon. A woman must, therefore, be given all opportunities to grow. Every nation must make sure that women enjoy a proper status in society. No country that does not respect the rights of women, can ever hope to prosper. 2 Empowering women usually involves giving them opportunity for better education. With that, fertility rates decrease, as well as infant mortality rates. Literate women have other opportunities in life other than marriage and motherhood, such as being part of the work force. Delaying marriage usually also means that women have less fertile years, which naturally decreases the number of children they can have. They are also better informed about family planning options, although it seems that religion plays a stronger part in this aspect other than simple literacy. Literate women are more than another mouth to feed in poor families living in lessdeveloped countries. Instead of being seen as a liability, and therefore being married off as soon as possible, they can become a valuable asset to their families. Of course, at a personal level, empowerment gives women a chance to make their own choices, challenge the worthiness of old traditions, and to actually look for opportunities away from their families and villages. . Studies show that when women are supported and empowered, all of society benefits.Their families are healthier, more children go to school, agricultural productivity improves and incomes increase. In short, communities become more resilient. The Hunger Project firmly believes that empowering women to be key change agents is an essential element to achieving the end of hunger and poverty. Wherever we work, our programs aim to support women and build their capacity. 4 United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro today highlighted the importance of empowering women to build healthier, better educated, more peaceful and more prosperous societies. Study after study has shown us that when women are fully empowered and engaged, all of society benefits, Ms. Migiro told the International Women Leaders Global Security Summit in New York.

It is noted that in almost all countries, women continue to be underrepresented in decision-making positions; their work continues to be undervalued; and violence against women and girls continues unabated worldwide. Changing all this requires all of us women and men to work for enduring change in values and attitudes,. It means working in partnership Governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector. It means men assuming their responsibility. It means ensuring that women and girls enjoy their full rights, and take up their rightful place in Women Empowerment Rural women frequently have primary responsibility for agricultural production, in addition to domestic responibilities and childcare. These demands place heavy demands on women's time, and micro-enterprise activities. Moreover, limited access to productive resources, transport constraints, lack of market knowledge, and lack of basic literacy restrict the capacity of women to participate actively in business activities. The number of women living in poverty has increased disproportionately over the past decade compared with the number of men. The feminisation of poverty is a direct consequence of women's unequal access to economic opportunities. Social attitudes concerning the value of traditional women's work activities and their potential abilities limit the participation rates and ultimate commercial success of women entrepreneurs. Given the importance of women empowerment, Drishtee has been actively promoting the training and capacity building of women enterpreneurs. The health vertical within Drishtee is led by the Women Health Entrepreneurs. Drishtee could attract more than 500 such entrepreneurs in rural villages.

Become the change you want to see I think men are afraid to be with a successful woman, because we are terribly strong, we know what we want and we are not fragile enough. Women have gained worldwide fame for all sorts of different reasons. Some are famous because for their athletic prowess. Others are famous for their beauty. And many are famous within their niche area of interest. It would be impossible to define the single most famous woman in the entire world since there are so many different paths to fame. But there are certainly some women who stand out above the rest for their success and achievements.

Following are ten of the most famous women from different parts of the world: 1. Mother Teresa. She was arguably the most famous woman in the entire world during her lifetime and she continues to be famous since her death. She is one of those women who will go down in the annals of history for the change that she brought to the world simply by living her life in a way that she believed was right. 2. Anna Loginova. This late-twenties woman gained fame in Russia as the most famous bodyguard in the country. Female bodyguards are rare and that was enough to launch her to fame. However, the real fame came after her recent death which occurred when her Porsche was carjacked and she was injured in the high speed chase that ensued.. 3Hillary Clinton. At the current time, one of the most famous in the world is Hillary Clinton. She has gained a lot of attention since she started running for president and the rest of the world is paying attention to see what is going to happen with the presidential race. If she ends up winning then she would, of course, be the first female president in the United States which would definitely up the ante on her lasting fame. 4Roma Mitchell. This woman was Australia's first female Supreme Court judge and then the first female governor in Australia. the world is filled with names that people recognize no matter where they travel.

Empowerment means self-empowerment

IRUVANANTHAPURAM: "A strong nation cannot be built up with a generation of oppressed and exploited modern women, said danseuse Dr Mallika Sarabhai, while releasing a video documentary, as part of a gender awareness initiative of the Kerala State Womens Development Corporation (KSWDC) here on Wednesday. "Empowerment of women also means self-empowerment, in todays environment, said Sarabhai after releasing the documentary film series titled Awakening of Woman, which will now be screened in 40 colleges in the State in the presence of a gender expert and an expert counsellor.

Prayer for International Women's Day

Women are a reflection of the glory of God. Today we honor the women of all times and all places: Women of courage.

Women of hope. Women suffering Women mourning. Women living fully. Women experiencing joy. Women delighting in life. Women knowing the interconnectedness of the human family. Women honoring the sacredness of the relational, the affective. Women quietly tending the garden of human flourishing. Women boldly leading the transformation of unjust global structures. Women seeking Wisdom. Women sharing Wisdom. Women receiving Love. Women giving Love. Women: life-giving. Women: the image of God. Loving God, we celebrate your faithfulness and love. On this day we commit ourselves to the promotion of the full humanity of all women everywhere. We know that whatever denies, diminishes, or distorts the full humanity of women is not of God. Help us to be faithful to your call to love. Amen. Please pray: Lord, bless women everywhere. We pray especially for all those mothers, grandmothers and sisters who work to care for family members in need while forging their own paths in life. May their loving hearts and nurturing spirits be blessed with strength and joy. We ask this in your holy name. Amen.

1. 2. 3.

God of love, you have created us, in your own image and likeness. But, we have failed to realize and recognize this precious gift you have shared with us. We plead for your mercy, for our failure to grow in your Holy image. Lord have Mercy Lord Jesus, Girl child is precious to you, as you healed and loved her, during your ministry on earth. We plead for mercy, for blaming, insulting, rejecting and threatening mothers at the news of the birth of a baby girl. Christ have Mercy O Holy Spirit of God, you do not differentiate between girls and boys, and bless them equally with gifts in abundance. We plead for your mercy, for discriminating between boys and girls in our homes, schools, workplaces, and churches. Lord, have Mercy

Let us pray: God of life and love, we have resisted your invitation to know the power of unconditional love and gripped ourselves to our gender biased mind sets. Open our eyes to see, gender discrimination in our midst, fill our hearts with your love and teach us to see you, in every girl child. We make our prayer in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Dear God, shower your many graces on every daughter, wife, and mother. Bless every woman for the different roles; she plays so that she may have the courage to overcome the irrational and baseless fears. We pray that every woman may stand up with dignity for her own self and not diminish her God given dignity We pray for all women who unconsciously succumb to the system of oppressing girl or women without realizing the harm that is caused to another human image of God. May the spirit of the Lord come upon them powerfully today as we offer every tear and the silent sighs of every woman to the Lord for his divine healing touch We pray for the frightened and mute women who are unable to speak the truth or are hesitating to risk commitment in the name of rituals, traditions, social status of the families or due to pressure of any type. May Mary who said Yes to be the handmaid of the Lord, totally believing in his plan may spur us, to trust the Lord totally in our journey of life.Response ear God, we pray for doctors, nurses and other helpers who despite hearing their conscience pay no heed and go against discriminating the life in the womb or later. Bless every woman to join hands in this endeavour to save life, love life and nurture the girl child thus balancing our human race. Response

The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says, "It's a girl, by Shirley Chisholm.

Sure God created man before woman. But then you always make a rough draft before the final masterpiece. ~Author Unknown