What do I wish her?

Every year on March 8th, my mother reiterates the same question "Did you wish me a Happy Women's day?" even before she thanks me for wishing her a Happy birthday. Most of the times, I take it with a pinch of salt and wish her a happy Women's day; because the one time I lectured her on how there is no reason to actually celebrate that occasion, she ended up being upset. I'm sure I'll be facing this question again tonight when I call her and how do I tell her that there is no reason for us to be happy about the current stage of women.

How do I tell her that the number of crimes against women across the world are only increasing every year. While a billion people were protesting against sexual violence a couple of months ago, children as young as 3 years and women as old as 47 years were victimized. In many parts of the world, rape is used as a weapon of war and activists speaking for girl education are often gunned down (yes, in 21st century). How do I bawl and tell her that the only reason left for us to celebrate Women's day is because we are not among the unfortunate few who are not alive to live this day?

During our heated debates about Indian society and its culture, I feel like reading out the newspaper to her and show how wonderfully a woman is treated everyday. How should I bespeak how we live in a nation where women are looked and locked down in every stage of life. Does she even know that women are told what to wear, how to act and how to live for mere survival in a society of sex-greed-psychopaths? The only thing we are good at is signing petitions, proposing "Nirbhaya" fund to extend help to future rape victims and maybe sporting black ribbons for a day.

It is not just her, if I had to ask a few randomly selected women to name 10 living women who they are proud of; I'm sure they won't be able to complete the list and one of them would be their mother. It is not their fault, that is how a girl child is raised. They are forced to think along those lines. A male cricketer retires - it is a huge fuss, but we don't know the captain of the national women's cricket team. The media behaves itself too, they are too busy airing the Fair n Lovely (the most racist company ever!) ad over and over alluring women to turn into fairies but least interested in doing a program about the wonderful women who work towards restructuring the society. I love their two-faceted nature when they celebrate Women's day while repeatedly telecasting the making of Munni Badnaam Hui and Sheila ki jawaani.

I hide my face in shame everytime my wife asks me if she'd be able to lead her current lifestyle back home. What do I say? "Happy Women's day"?