The women of India are The Custodians of our culture and society.
They strengthen our economic landscape in countless ways, apart from being bread winners and sometimes the sole earner in a family.
The home is run too by women -- raising children, caring for the elderly, rasoi work, cleaning, budgeting, drawing water and keeping its wheels turning.
The legacy of family cooking is carried on by the Hindustani nari, with the wealth of home Indian food recipes passing down the generations, ensuring we still have one of the richest food civilisations in world.
So many crafts and handloom traditions are in their hands as well.
In which area of Indian life are women not running the show?
They drive Metro trains in Mumbai. Manage science laboratories in Hyderabad. Run ministries in Delhi. Manage huge corporations, banks and businesses effortlessly in umpteen cities.
On International Women's Day, Hemantkumar Shivsharan/Rediff offers glimpses into the lives of everyday women.
Women Commuters On The Move
Every day, millions of women, headed to their workplaces, navigate the chaos of India's busiest cities. In spite of long hours of commuting, they balance professional and personal responsibilities adroitly.
Backbone-ing Our Democracy
Our female voters play a crucial role in shaping the country's democracy. Powerful visuals of women, who have arrived on foot from miles away, standing patiently in long queues, in the scorching heat, outside polling booths and proudly displaying their ink-marked fingers after casting their vote are an enormous inspiration.
Vendors Of The Bazaar
From vegetables, flowers, fruits to seafood, they run much of the local markets across India, reflecting resilience and entrepreneurial spirit.
On The Force
Lady cops are increasingly visible in every nook and corner of the country -- managing traffic, ensuring safety during public events, airport security, VIP duty, bandobast and maintaining law and order.
Fisherwomen Start Work Before Sunrise
Along the coasts of India, an army of women clean seafood and take heavy baskets of fresh catch to bustling markets on foot, by train, by taxi, whichever means.
Building Cities
India's metropolises would not grow without the female construction workforce, who perform physically-demanding tasks.
In Fields And On Farms
Women work alongside men in the fields, weeding, harvesting, threshing, contributing to India's agricultural economy. They herd livestock too. And when the menfolk leave interior villages to find work and more money in the cities, women run the farms and households solo.
Continuing Traditions
From pujas to weddings and festivals, much of a home's religious activity is scripted by the lady folk.
Self-Help Group Entrepreneurs
Via these empowering groups women strike out on their own buiding small businesses -- tiffin services, rolling papad, making pickles, jam and preserves, packing their own masalas, dairy farms, creating jewellery and other handicrafts.
Happy Women's Day
Remembering always the quiet strength and grace of India's Women.
Text and Presentation: Hemantkumar Shivsharan/Rediff