Why We Must Recognise A Woman's Worth Beyond Festivals

We all have heard of Durga as a malevolent mother goddess and Durga is a loving and compassionate mother deity who, in her kindness, destroys our illusions and brings us to spiritual truth. While the Navratri festival is an invitation to see Durga for every woman, do we really see more of who a woman is beyond the festival? 

This festival symbolizes strength, courage, and resilience—the very qualities women exhibit every day through their personal lives and professional ones. Now that we're almost close to the New Year, let's go beyond rituals and celebrations; let's pay respect to the Goddess by noticing and valuing the Durga that lives in every woman around us.

We Must Recognise A Woman's Worth Beyond Festivals

Goddess Durga is not just a god that is worshipped for nine days; she is an expression of Shakti—the universal feminine force that creates life. She is the guardian, the nurturer, and the warrior. Her varied manifestations as Kali, Saraswati, and Lakshmi stand for the roles women perform—for all people who can be savage protectors of justice, providers of wisdom, and symbols of prosperity. In realizing Durga in every woman, we recognize these multifaceted roles with divine feminine energy that resides within them.

We worship women as goddesses during Navratri. However, that respect must go beyond the festival. The real form of worship of Durga is not just in rituals but in our daily lives with women around us. When we see Durga in every woman, we must:

Respect Her Choices: Just as Durga finally decides to take a stand against evil, she needs to be empowered so that she can make her own choices. Whether the woman chooses a profession, or family, or breaks all the established traditions, there needs to be respect and understanding for her decisions in accepting her as divine.

Value her strengths: rather than viewing a woman solely as a good caregiver and nurturer, value the talents that she has as a scientist, an artist, an activist, or a leader; seeing the goddess within them adds another way of valuing them.

Venerating women's dignity: She would never let anyone lose his dignity; why a woman? It's time we question all such behaviours, attitudes, and systems that demean or diminish a woman. Right from the streets to workplaces and homes, women should be treated with the dignity that the goddess demands for herself.

Violence Against Women: A Global Crisis

Violence against women is a plain, earthy reality across cultures, social classes, and income levels across the world. Despite decades of what has been considered tremendous progress toward the increase of women's rights, women still encounter astonishing levels of physical, emotional, and sexual violence. On Navratri this year, as we worship the divine feminine power of Goddess Durga, it is time for reflection—on how we can change the narrative of violence by seeing and honouring Durga in every woman.

Chilling Statistics on Violence Against Women

Data on violence against women describe a long-standing, often unbearable crisis that appears to occupy part of the entire global space:

Global Prevalence: The WHO reports that one in three women around the world, or 736 million women, have faced either physical or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence at some stage in their lives. The pandemic has also made the situation worse in terms of the number of reported cases with increased rates of domestic violence because women were locked inside their houses.

India Crisis: Crimes against women in India have climbed 15.3% compared to the previous year, according to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in 2021, with more than 428,278 cases.   To my mind, the surge in domestic violence and sexual harassment cases is very disturbing. Shockingly, almost 30% of Indian women in the age group 15 to 49 have suffered abuse by their partners and families physically, according to the report of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5).Sexual Violence: According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, worldwide, 58% of all homicides of females in 2020 were carried out by intimate partners or family members—a fact that reflects the dangers women incur inside their homes.Economic Costs: The problem of violence against women is not just physical harm; it has far-reaching economic implications for the national economy. The World Bank calculations in its report show that GBV induces the economy of each country to suffer as much as 3.7 percent of its GDP. The economy loses money through healthcare, legal fees, lost productivity, and social services, specifically.

These numbers tell of the very dreadful extent of violence against women. It is an issue that is systemic and of society that would require deep cultural and institutional changes. And it is there that the spirit of Navratri comes.

Navratri and Durga's Power: A Cultural Revolution

The ninth manifestation during Navratri is Goddess Durga, who is worshipped in all her nine manifestations. Each manifestation reiterates empowerment, strength, protection, and knowledge. Durga stands for bravery, which fights the evil and injustice of this world, just like the battles that women fight every day. But beyond the aartis and rituals, the worship of the feminine divine during Navratri needs to be taken out of how society treats the women in our lives.

We can challenge all these cultural norms and practices that lead towards violence through the recognition of Durga in every woman. Society will grow to the point where it will have respect for the dignity of women which will bring about the treatment of women with respect and dignity. This approach justly discusses the main issue of misogyny, which sees women as weaker or subordinate to men.  

By seeing Durga in every woman, we would ask whether we would tolerate disrespect towards a goddess and permit unrestrained violence or abuse. It forces society to confront and change the behaviours and norms that let the culture of violence against women thrive.

Breaking the Silence Around Domestic Violence

Among all kinds of violence against women, the one that is most insidiously camouflaged is the one that goes on behind closed doors—domestic violence. Here is the opportunity to draw upon the protective energy of Durga to speak to this issue. Community leaders, schools, and religious organizations can use the platform of Navratri to raise consciousness about domestic violence and encourage its survivors to come forward knowing that society will stand with them, not against them.

These women can then be empowered to fight back against abusive situations with the reminder of the inner Durga. This will make communities safer spaces that actively intervene and support women in distress.

Institutional support for survivors

In just the same way that Durga stands watch over the household, our systems must keep a woman safe. Seeing Durga in every woman means gazing at a survivor of violence who doesn't deserve only sympathy but concrete support: legal, financial, and emotional. It makes the laws stronger against gender-based violence; that shelters get better access; and that the police and legal systems ensure timely action for protection.

The federal and state governments, civil society organizations, and corporate sectors need to invest more in women's empowerment, offering resources that help survivors rebuild their lives, find employment opportunities for them, and provide much-needed health care.

Change the narrative

This New Year is the beginning of a change that will make society a place where every woman is respected as a goddess, free from violence and oppression. Viewing Durga in each woman is a cultural shift and a growth toward the divine feminine.

Views expressed are the author's own.