International Women’s Day

International Women's Day started as a movement in the 20th century to demand equal rights, fair pay and better working conditions for women workers. Its relevance over the years has been confined to just celebrating the achievers, over-achievers or women, who broke the glass ceiling. Everybody loves an extraordinary story, the record-breakers, the CEOs, the 'accomplished' success stories that define an entire half of the human population. These stories are inspiring and empowering. While they deserve their due, does one really have to celebrate 'only the best' on a day reserved globally to acknowledge the contributions of the women?

Well, Theatre Wallah marked International Women's Day with "Her Voice, Her Stage", inviting women from across all sections of society, age no bar, to celebrate a day of just being their own self. The open mic event saw women take the stage and sing, perform spoken poetry, share stories that were relatable, about life, kids, work and everything in between. Theatre Wallah, a performing arts group formed by the women, for the women of Amritsar, was the brainchild of educator Gayatri Peshawaria and Reena Kundra, principal, Cambridge Junior School. The group comprising women, who are professionals -- entrepreneurs, homemakers and students and artists --- have one thing in common - their voice.

"These women share their voice through poetry, songs, personal reflections and short theatrical enactments. The open mic unfolded as an interactive and immersive experience, where we intended to give women a platform to speak up, share their thoughts and be a part of this collective participation of celebrating women,' said Deepa Swani, one of the members of Theatre Wallah and founder of 'Past Forward', a revivalist brand that works with Phulkari artisans to revive the vintage Bagh.

The event reflected the core philosophy of Theatre Wallah - to provide a welcoming platform for individuals to explore their creative potential and express themselves freely. "By celebrating the voices of everyday women who often remain unsung, the initiative aimed to nurture confidence, storytelling and artistic discovery," said Indu Aurora, a social activist and former educator.

"The core idea is to break this conventional exercise of only celebrating and acknowledge the 'extraordinary'. Every woman deserves recognition, milestones or not, and everyday resilience, work effort and solidarity for women must also be normalised. Celebration should not depend on one's professional or personal success. Simply recognising everyday existence of women, dignity and power is also a way to celebrate," said Saloni Poddar, a poet.

Performances were interspersed with games and engaging activities that encouraged creative participation from the audience. The evening concluded with a powerful meditative session focused on release and empowerment, leaving participants with a sense of reflection, connection and collective strength.