The document discusses discrimination and violence against women in India. It notes that over 20,000 cases of atrocities against women have been reported in the last 10 years, though many more go unreported. India ranks poorly (134th out of 187 countries) in treating women equally according to a recent gender equality report. The document calls for an end to these trends and highlights how women had a higher status in ancient Hindu society compared to now. It lists many prominent Indian women from history and urges respect for all women.

1. Change is possible…! BUT is Change
happening?
Discrimination and violence against women and girls must stop….!
Common Call by Dr. Balasandilyan, Thought Leader and CEO of
www.visionunlimited.in M-9840027810. e: balasandilyan@yahoo.com

2. It is a shame…stunning
• In India in the last 10
years 20 thousand cases
have been filed for
atrocities against
Salute to Women
women including sexual
harassment.
• Lots of such instances
have not been
registered/complained
or brought to light. 2

3. What's going on?
• What is causing these
trends (and what can
we all do to reverse
them?)
Salute to Women
• In the recent gender
equality conference
and research done
among 187 countries,
India ranks 134th in
treating women not so 3
equally/fairly/well.

4. It’s not an accomplishment!
• ‘The Guardian’
magazine says among
G20 countries, India is
surely unsafe for
women to stay.
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• A popular NGO related
to laws on women
complains that Certain
countries like Afghan,
Kango, Somalia are
unsafe for women. And
in this list India is also 4
included.

5. What is worrying?
• Sexual harassment to
women children
especially in the class
room has been
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happening in a very big
way of late and this is
worrying every
parent, citizen and of
course – women.
5

6. It is a fact …it is said
• 53% of the girl children
in some way or other
are meeting sexual
harassment in the
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society – including
neighbors, teachers,
classmates, strangers
and family members.
• Silence has been the
answer or solution so
far…to these issues. 6

7. Let us be aware…
• In India every 40 minutes
a woman or girl is
pushed to sexual
harassment or a related
issue.
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• Every 27 minutes a girl or
woman is teased or
provoked.
• Relatives, neighbors, soci
al bad elements, thieves
and
robbers, known/unknow
n people, teachers – no 7
one is an exception to
this list.

8. In our own country… earlier…
• The status of women in early
Hindu society was an
enviable one. They could
avail of the highest learning
and there were many seers
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and philosophers among
them. Ghosha, Apala,
Lopamudra, Vishwvara,
Surya, Indrani, Yami,
Romasha – all these names
highlight the position and
the esteem which Hindu
women enjoyed in the Vedic 8
period.

9. Manu Dharma Shastra
• Manu's saying that –
"Yatra naryastu pujyante
ramante tatra
Devata, yatraitaastu na
pujyante
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sarvaastatrafalaah
kriyaah" Manusmriti 3.56
– which translated reads :
"whenever women are
given their due
respect, even the deities
like to reside there and 9
where they are not
respected, all action
remains unfruitful."

10. Scriptures say…
• Several women sages and seers are mentioned in the
Upanishads, the philosophical part of the Vedas,
notable among them being Gargi and Maitreyi. The
Sanskrit word for female teachers as Acharyā (as
opposed to Acharya for teacher and Acharyini for
teacher's wife) reveal that women were also given a
place as Gurus.
• The Harita Dharmasutra (of the Maitrayaniya school
of Yayurveda) declares that there are two kind of
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women: Sadhyavadhu who marry, and the
Brahmavaadini who are inclined to religion, they can
wear the sacred thread, perform rituals like the
agnihotra and read the Vedas. Bhavabhuti's
Uttararamacharita 2.3 says that Atreyi went to
Southern India where she studied the Vedas and
Indian philosophy. Shankara debated with the female
philosopher Ubhaya Bharati, and Madhava's
Shankaradigvijaya (9.63) mentions that she was well
versed in the Vedas. Tirukkoneri Dasyai (15th 10
century) wrote a commentary on Nammalvar's
Tiruvaayamoli, with reference to Vedic texts like the
Taittiriya Yajurveda.

11. In Women’s name…and their
sake
• Country – Motherland
(Bharath Matha)
• Language- Mother tongue
• Rivers (like Cauvery,
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Godhaveri, Narmada, Ganga,
Sindu, Saraswathi all in
Women’s name) in India
• Even in Music – we say
“Sruthi” Matha.
• Cattles make the sound of
“Amma” or “Maa”.
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• Even a Cow is considered as
God.

12. Women who made India proud
• Sita Devi
• Draupadi
• Kunti
• Shakuntala
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• Sant Meera
• Jijabai
• Jhansi Rani
• Aandaal Naachiyar
12

13. India produced…
• Indira Gandhi
• Shakuntala Devi
• M.S.Subbulakshmi
• Lata Mangeshkar
• Parveen Sultana
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• Kishori Amonkar
• D.K.Pattammal
• Kasutirbai
• Padma Subramaniam
• Mallika Sarabhai
• Jayalalitha 13
• Sushma Swaraj

14. The list continues…
• P.T.Usha
• Kiran Bedi
• Kalpana Chawla
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• Sania Mirza
• Saina Nehwal
• Sumati Iyer
• Mari kom
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15. Indian Women entrepreneurs
• Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
• Ekta Kapoor
• Aishwarya Nair
• Swati Parimal
• Rajashree Pathi
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• Radhika Roy
• Farah khan
• Vandana Luthra
• Indra Nooyi
• Indu Jain
• Priya Paul
• Mallika Srinivasan 15
• Neelam Dhawan

16. Saluting the brave men who
fought for women in India
• Raja Ram Mohan Roy
• Ishwar Chander
• Vidyasagar
• Jyothirao Phule
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• Haribilas Sarda
• Maharishi Karve
• Bhimrao Ambedkar
• Jawaharlal Nehru
• Thanthai Periyar
• Mahakavi Bharathi 16

17. Let us respect (Sarvam Shakti
Mayam)
• Our Mother
• Wife
• Sister
• Daughter
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• Grand daughter
• Neighbor lady
• Women colleagues
• Women teachers
• Women students
• Women leaders 17
• All women in our life

18. Thank you for watching and
supporting the cause.
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