Today, 08/03/2024, once again we celebrate International Women's Day. The question is why just one day, why not every day? The concept of equality between men and women has evolved over time, where women were once considered property and used accordingly. Many cultures still consider women as property, an object for trade or a responsibility that needs to be controlled in the name of honour. The 19th Century Iran saw the rise of a woman called Qurat'ul'ain Tahereh, a poetess born in a very strict religious family. She was considered to be a beauty and lived a life behind the veil, yet being intelligent she was provided an education, and was considered a learned lady by everyone around. She was the first woman to remove the veil after accepting the Babi faith. She was proposed to be a queen by the Shah of Iran in the hope that she would recant her new found faith and subdue or be killed. She accepted the latter, providing her own scarf for her martyrdom. She was then tossed into a well and covered with stone to be forgotten- yet today, the world still remembers her. Her last words were 'You can kill me as soon as you like, but you cannot stop the emancipation of women.'
As a Baha'i, Tahereh has always been my role model. As an actor, I played her on stage and was applauded for it as I deeply researched who she was. During my study to portray her, I realised the abuse she had to endure at the hands of her family members, especially her father and husband, and others, until she lay her life for her cause— emancipation of women- She inspired me to become the strong woman I am today, despite the challenges around me.
While women and men have equal rights to everything, I don't believe men and women are equal. Both have distinct features that make them superior in one area or the other naturally. For example, men have physical strength that enable them to carry loads and do things differently, while women have inner strengths that enable them to nurture and look after others. Their strengths balance each other out. Women want to be treated equally, while being accepted for our differences and supported. This acknowledgement is what is required to celebrate women every day.
