Woman - the word and the being is as important as the sun and moon is to the earth. It is as significant as the air and water is to our existence. It is some-being so divine without which the entire survival of mankind becomes impossible. It is some-being that gives life to term life, yet is she - The Woman- enjoying a quality life. Are the dreams and aspirations of a woman given the respect they deserve? Or is she still constantly fighting the battle where she has to prove her self-worth even for the most minor of things and on the most insignificant of issues?

The bigger question to ponder upon is that does the woman have any rights? And more specifically does the Indian woman have any rights? Does she even have the human rights and more so the fundamental rights?

The irony of the 21st century is that though the world has progressed to limitless extents with conscious and unconscious contributions of the womenfolk in all fields, yet the impediments that today's women have to face haven't declined. In fact taking into consideration the aspirations of today's women, it can be said with conviction, that these impediments, hindrances and obstacles seem to have increased.

Why is it that even in today's world if a young single woman wants to study beyond the 'normal' level or wants to have a 'high -flying career' she has to give tremendous explanations to her parents and family? Why is it that the same parents, who were ashamed if their daughter didn't stand first in the class in school, feel ashamed if their daughter pursues her career at the cost of delaying her marriage by few years? Why is it that a married woman has to sacrifice her career for the family? Why is it that a career woman is unable to share her responsibilities of home with her husband but ends up doing the entire house-work all by herself? Why does that happen in today's age? Why does it happen to even the most well- educated urban women? Why do we observe that the status of women is regressing even as the entire world is said to be progressing?

I guess the only difference between the times of the earlier generation and today's generation is that that in the former scenario these views were said out very loud and in today's times these are shown very subtly. But nothing has changed. Nothing at all. The status of a woman still remains that of a fighter. Will it have to always remain like that? Will a woman always have to fight through these obstacles - which of course don't even exist for a man?

I still cannot figure out the answers to these questions but I do feel that there is a gross violation of the human rights - the right to live with dignity and the basic fundamental rights such as right to speech and expression and right to life, happening everyday, every moment in the lives of millions of women. The time has arrived that the women realise that they have these rights and assert themselves so that 'equality of women' acquires a greater meaning than just be a thrown around as a fashionable clich'.