There’s a revolution happening, and gone are the days when the women used to get confined to the four walls of their houses, and were forced to see the world through the eyes of ‘her’ man!!

Today’s women have set foot to conquer anything and everything, and this day today (8 March) is celebrated globally in honour of the ‘woman’ fraternity as the International Women’s Day!!

Popular TV and Bollywood actor Sakshi Tanwar takes pleasure in saluting all the women and talking about the growing need of women empowerment all over. Having said this, Sakshi believes that women have the right to rejoice and celebrate every day. “Honestly, I don’t believe in celebrating Women’s day for just one day, as every day is ours.”

Says Sakshi, “Woman Empowerment can mean different to different women. For a village girl, pursuing basic education can be empowering. For a home maker, having an equal say in all family matters could be empowering. For someone, marriage can be empowering while for someone staying single can be empowering. As long as you are able to exercise your right of being a respected human being, irrespective of gender, its empowerment. This is even more relevant in a country like ours where there is status difference between men and women. It is high time the quality of life for women improves and they can take their own decisions, freely live their life with a sense of self-worth, respect and dignity.”

For Sakshi, being a woman is being able to express diversity – to experience a whole range of emotions.  “Woman can be a mother as well as a professional, strong and compassionate, vulnerable and determined, caring and protective, sensitive and fierce. She can play multiple roles with equal ease and perfection.”

Ask her about her views on nurturing a girl into a strong and independent woman, Sakshi explains, “Family is the most important unit of the society. If a girl grows up in a family that does not differentiate between the status of men and women, it is easier for her to step out with the same beliefs and values and become a strong individual. And when one is strong, one can also be independent.”

Elaborating on the kind of upbringing a girl child can have, considering the society we live in, Sakshi points out “The most important factor that makes a girl a strong individual is the positive and progressive upbringing she gets at home from her parents. It is also very important for children to grow in an environment where they see the male members of the family respecting the women members. Also there should not be any difference in the way a male and female child is brought up.”

So does gender inequality still prevail in our country? “Women have made great strides in every field but gender inequality persists. There’s been a positive change in people’s thinking, but there’s more to be done,” avers the actress.

Personally, Sakshi credits her mother’s upbringing for whatever she has achieved today. “The values that I have imbibed are from my mother who is the strongest woman I know. She is my constant source of strength and positivity in life. In fact both my parents have played a very important role in my life.”

Sakshi who played a very important role in the recent successful biopic film Dangal further elaborates on her experience while filming the movie. “The film is a biopic so it had to be told from the father's point of view. I have gone to the village where the girls grew up. They could come this far and achieve what they have, only because of their broadminded father and mother who stood by her husband’s every decision for her daughters’ better future. Her contribution in their journey is also very important”.

Lastly, on the woman characters that TV needs to imbibe, Sakshi states, “We need to tell inspirational stories about women who have been able to break age-old taboos and overcome society pressures to freely live life at their own terms with respect and dignity.”

Very well said, Sakshi!! Here’s wishing everyone ‘Happy Women’s Day’!!