“She is clothed in strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future” – Proverbs 31:25

It’s that special time of the year again – 8^th of March! As International Women’s Day (IWD) kicks off globally to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, all of us are gearing to pay tribute to the spirit and elegance of womanhood in our very own personal ways.

Every year IWD serves as a reminder about how women, not just in the world of art, but in all walks of life, are balancing the scales between work and home. With so many pressures on the work as well as home fronts and so much to fit into a limited time frame, this day is a recognition of how well women have stood their ground in this male-dominated world.

Although this year has been no less lacking in recognizing the efforts of “womankind” to overcome the biggest hurdle in their path – gender inequality, what makes it extra special is the theme this time – #ChooseToChallenge. What this means is that in a world predominantly populated by men, women can choose to defy the stereotypes, pledge to challenge the status quo and call out for gender equality.

Women are the largest reservoir of talent in the world and specifically in the art world, IWD is a day not just to acknowledge this talent, but also recognize women who are making a global impact. It is about identifying, nurturing and celebrating talent.

Today’s post is about my artwork titled “Saluting Womanhood… #ChooseTo Challenge” which is my tribute to women’s achievements worldwide, as well as my pledge towards gender equality across the globe. It celebrates the tremendous efforts of women all over the world towards creating a gender equal future, especially in the present day COVID-19 ridden world.

Through this artwork, I wish to send out the message that every woman has the right to define her life by the choices she makes, be it the clothes she wears or the stereotypes she breaks. So why not choose a gender equal world? She can choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality and be part of the collective endeavor towards creating an inclusive world.    

I have used a combination of watercolors and acrylics to integrate the classic symbol of the female gender (♀), the number “8” which represents the day IWD is celebrated and the hand gesture that is symbolic of #ChooseToChallenge along with the silhouettes of a woman’s face in my artwork. The color palette mostly consists of warm tones like yellow, orange and red with a splash of the cooler blues and vibrant pinks for the faces.

I have rendered the female symbol, the number 8 and the hand gesture in black acrylic paint while the faces and the background of the artwork are done using watercolors. What’s special about this artwork is that the hand gesture is not painted on with a brush, but is the actual imprint of my hand. In a way, it asserts my pledge towards #ChooseToChallenge.

I believe that an equal world is an enabled world and in order to achieve this we all must choose to seek out and challenge gender stereotypes. From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge.

Hoping that my artwork will inspire others like me to #ChooseToChallenge something, be it the workload at the home front or their rightful place at work.  What would you choose to challenge?

Credits –

Soundtrack used for video – She’s Always A Woman by Billy Joel.