Mall-Goers on Intn’l Women’s Day Celebrate 100 Years of Change, and Long for More

photo by Diya Paul

March 8, 2011, Chennai — Mall-goers this International Women’s Day celebrated the changes that Indian women have enjoyed in the last 100 years—while at the same time saying that there’s lots of room for improvement.

Hundreds of Post-it Notes written by shoppers at Express Avenue Mall captured the hopes that women have for the future: “Equal jobs/equal pay,” “An end to female infanticide,” “More women in leadership.” The “Post-it Wall of Change” displayed layer upon layer of such sentiments.

While the “Post-it Wall of Change” provided a forum for people to express their views, the concert and competitions got mall-goers in a celebratory mood as they enjoyed a few moments at “The Be the Change!” event hosted by Women of Worth (WOW).

“Today is about creating awareness about women’s issues,” said Kavitha Emmanuel, a founding member of WOW. “It is about restoring dignity, respect and value to every woman and girl child. It is not just about fighting for women’s rights, but about fighting for human rights denied to women.”

WOW challenged mall-goers to “Be the Change!” by personally engaging in social action. Five NGOs were on hand to provide information about how the public can get involved in remedying problems that affect women, such as human trafficking, domestic violence, dowry, homelessness, and the dismal state of pregnant women in our country. WOW also continued to promote its “Dark is Beautiful” message.

The Be the Change event was sponsored by Express Avenue Mall, Post-it, MLS Business Centres, World Vision India, and International Justice Mission.