As another Women's Day arrives, I feel proud to belong to an ancient nation and a heritage that ensured women a place that they deserve in society.
In the India of yore, women were in power and I am proud to be born in the land of warrior queens, to belong to the land of free-spirited women like Chand Bibi, Razia Sultana, Rani Lakshmibai, Abbaka Rani, Rani Tarabai, Biwi Dalair Kaur, Rani Padmini of Chittorgarh, and Rani Velu Nachiyar.
Those days, women were in power in kingdoms in our land. During the early Vedic period, girls received an education. They were taught sports, art, and literature, and treated as equal to men. No ceremony would be complete without the participation of the women of the house.
The queen, sometimes, would take over the kingdom after the king's death. Women had an equal say in matters pertaining to society and how states were run. They were brought up as equal to boys and taught warfare.
Discriminatory practices against women rose during the later Vedic Age. The introduction of the purdah system in the country led to the seclusion of women, the subjugation of women and the restriction of their mobility and disempowerment.
Fast forward to today, women have made their footprints everywhere. They are breaking glass ceilings and barriers. They have made inroads into male-held bastions. Their presence is everywhere - from helming important positions in global companies to being In the Army, Navy and Airforce, in public transport services and cargo transport services, including trucks, and even as taxi and autorickshaw drivers. Even a homemaker is an incredible force to reckon with.
But this did not happen overnight. It took centuries of glacial changes made by women who knew better than to let tough times call the shots.
Here's to the women who inspire by being the most selfless givers and women who wield power for the greater good.
Happy Women's Day!
(The writer is a National Film Award-winning Bollywood actress)