There is a strange contradiction in the way we treat women. We celebrate their achievements. We rush to interview them when they top examinations, crack competitive tests, enter prestigious professions or clear the civil services. We publish their photographs, share their success stories and proudly call them role models.

However, beyond the headlines and congratulatory messages, do we give them the everyday respect they deserve? Do we listen to their voices with the same enthusiasm with which we celebrate their achievements? Do we respect their opinions, acknowledge their individuality and allow them to disagree without being ridiculed? A woman’s worth cannot be celebrated in public and diminished in everyday life.

We speak of equality, yet expect women to accommodate behaviour that we would never consider acceptable if the roles were reversed. It is time to look beyond slogans. A woman’s dignity is not a ceremonial subject. It is an everyday responsibility. It lives in the way a father speaks to his daughter. In the way a husband listens to........

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