This is one of the most powerful concepts of Sanatan Dharma explained in Durga Saptashati, which says that the incomparable radiance that was born from all gods and pervaded the 3 worlds, came to one place and it took the form of a woman. When I was in Bharat (India), I was very fortunate to be surrounded by a very supportive family where all the women were treated with lot of respect and love. I grew up taking inspiration from the stories of great Hindu Women like Jija Mata, Rani Laxmi Bai, Madam Kama, Rani Tara Bai, who fought with valor with their enemies to protect the country. Then there were social activists such as Savitri Bai Phule, Ahilya Bai Holkar, who shaped the societies around them to make it a better place to live. We took inspiration and worshiped our goddesses like Maa Sita, Maa Saraswati, Maa Durga and Maa Mahalaxmi to live with happiness and peace. The stories of these great women and our deities shaped our lives and taught us the true meaning of being a woman.
The United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day in 1975, which had been proclaimed the International Women’s Year. March 8 has been traditionally recognized as the day for International Women’s Days (IWD) by the UN for women’s rights and world peace. It has since been commemorated annually by the UN and much of the world, with each year’s observance centered on a particular theme or issue within women’s rights. Today we are celebrating the IWD, and I would like to take an opportunity to write some thought about ‘What it means to celebrate International Women’s Day as an Australian Hindu Women in 2025?’ My journey can be very similar to a huge number of migrated Hindu women who arrived in this beautiful land of opportunities say around 5, 10 or 20 years back. We came here either taking a student, spouse or permanent residency visa from Bharat (India). Some of us are 2nd or 3rd generation Australian Hindus or some are in Australia for the purpose of education, work etc. But now we all call Australia as our home or Karma Bhumi with a lot of pride. To settle in Australia a lot of us have gone through tough times. Sometimes it was related to financial problems, lack of support, finding work opportunities or facing discrimination related to gender bias, our colour, the way we dress-up and the way we follow our faith etc. But at the same time, most of us were fortunate to find Hindu community groups where we could meet like-minded people and thus, we created a new family within Australia with our friends and communities.
This year the IWD theme is #AccelerateAction. The UN has a number of goals to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment by 2030 and beyond. The emphasis is on increasing momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face both in personal and professional spheres. And there is an array of strategies and support activities that have been proposed. However, I personally feel that to empower the current and future generations of Australian Hindu women we need to focus on a few areas which are more applicable to the Hindu Diaspora. These aspects are explained as below:
- Empowering our cultural backbone: We all know that our Sanatan Dharma is eternal. There is nothing like Sanatan dharma on this earth, ‘A way of life’ that if followed with complete understanding, can help everyone live their life with happiness and peace. For many Hindu women, following Hindu rituals and its practice is very dear to their hearts. They want to feel comfortable and safe to practice it. However, due to presence of racial discrimination even in today’s date, they feel suppressed. The situation is improving very slowly but there is a need to educate the Australian society about the Sanatan Dharma and related practices. This needs to be done at school level as well as at council and government levels, through structured programs. This will not only assist in reducing the bias and misconceptions but also there will be more awareness and acceptance towards Australian Hindus in the society.
- Empowering through financial freedom: We live in a very competitive world and hence, it has become imperative that both men and women work together to run the household. I personally feel that each woman should take this as an opportunity to grow and become financially independent. This will not only help them with their financial situations but will also build their self-esteem and confidence to live a successful life. In recent times I have seen that in many families both husband and wife work as a team. They not only do jobs to earn money but also support each other with lot of household chores. Along with that even the parents and other family members in lot of Hindu families are equally supportive. Gone are the days when women were only seen as a person looking after kids and the kitchen. A lot of credit goes to all those women who take initiatives in their career growth and also their husbands, partners, parents, in-laws etc. who support them in their journey. With this kind of encouragement, we surely can set a great example of functional family systems for 21st century.
- Empowering through Mental and physical health: Swami Vivekananda used to say that ‘My country men should have muscles of iron, nerves of steel and minds like thunderbolts’. This is the kind of mindset we all need to harness to build a strong society. Unfortunately, as a woman we always tend to neglect this fact. We get engrossed in our day-to-day responsibilities and thus ignore our physical and mental wellbeing. However, to build a strong household, or society or a country, we need people who are physically and mentally strong. I have seen so many Hindu women, who think that taking care of the whole family is solely their responsibility. They are too much worried about what the society will say or think about them. But we all must remember this, as much as we want to play our role as a wonderful daughter, wife, mother or a sister, we still have to look after ourselves. At times as a woman we try to juggle too many things at the cost of our health and mental sanity, but we need to learn to take a break and ask for help if needed. It is important to understand that if we stay strong, the whole household becomes stronger.
- Empowering through social networking and collaborations: In my personal experience, women in general are always scared of being judged. Thus, they slowly create a comfort zone around themselves to avoid such situations. However, in the long run, this kind of behavior can affect their self-esteem and self-growth. Truly speaking, being a Hindu woman, we have a lot of skillsets that we can offer for betterment of the society. In the western world the family value system is collapsing The divorce rates are on the rise and also the western society is on a brink collapse due to mental health issues. On the contrary, with to our strong family values and cultural roots we have a lot to offer to the outer community. Also, most Hindu women are well educated and are much better in articulating difficult situations. Thus, if we decide, we can certainly extend a helping hand to build a strong Australian society. For that we need to take small initiatives to mingle outside our Hindu community. Some of the simple steps can include becoming a part of school councils, participating in local sports or community groups etc. The principle of Sewa (helping without expectation) is the backbone of our culture. Hence, we have to come out of our comfort zones and extend a helping hand to build a strong society and a nation. ‘To see the change, we have to be the change.’
We all have migrated to this wonderful country with lot of dreams and aspirations. Everyone of one of us has gone through our shares of struggles and difficulties. But we all are here to create a better life for ourselves and future generations. As woman, we should always be very proud of our Hindu heritage and at the same time we should always take initiatives in our individual capacities to contribute towards making Australia great. By empowering ourselves we can create an empowered Hindu ecosystem within Australia, where we feel safe, accepted and acknowledged as Proud Australian Hindu Citizens.
It is said that if the woman of the house feels safe, is loved and respected by everyone, then that house becomes a heavenly place. Let us all take a pledge today to work together to create our own heaven on this earth. I wish all the amazing women and the people who support them a very Happy International Women’s Day 2025.
Shivah Shaktya yukto yadi bhavati Shaktah prabhavitum
Na chedevam devo na khalu kushalah spanditumapi |
Atah tvam aradhyam Hari-Hara-Virinchadibhir api
Pranantum stotum vaa katham akrita-punyah prabhavati ||
Meaning:
Joined with Shakti(thyself), Lord Shiva is capable of creating the Universe.
Otherwise, the Lord is not be able even to stir.
You are worthy of being adored even by Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma.
Therefore, O Goddess! without acquiring great merits, how can a person be able to salute you?
– Aditi Kirtane (Victoria, Australia)
