An ode to the Indian women standing up for their rights
You have probably seen it in the news, on January 1 in Kerala, India 5 million women formed a wall with their bodies for the right to enter a Sabarima temple. It is something that we should feel proud of as women. It is proof that we are strong and when we stand together powerful things can happen.
These 5 million women demanded respect. They want to see an end to violent agitations against any women trying to enter the temple. They stood up for what they believe in — and for that I congratulate them. We all know it is hard to be a woman in this world but every day we see women coming together asserting their rights and freedoms.
It takes guts. There is no doubt about that. But, the only way we are going to see change in this world is to stand up for it. We can’t just sit back and ignore the way we are treated. We can’t brush it off and stand by as if we have no choice. We do have a choice. We can turn our heads to disrespect and we can demand equal treatment.
We may not be in India but this is a lesson for us all. We deserve the same rights, the same access as any man. And if we stop being complacent big things can happen. We can show the world just how strong we are.
I congratulate these women — all 5 million of them — for standing up for what they believe in. And, I encourage you to embrace this example of unity. Use it as motivation in your own life to stand up for what you believe in, and to be your beautiful, unique self. Don’t let anything get in your way.