International Women’s Day 2026 in rural Solapur

As March 2026 is ending, I reflect on the International Women’s Day celebrations I was invited to in Rural Solapur, in two villages- Kamti and Padsali.

In Kamti, the get-together was organised by the ‘Mahila Aarthik Vikas Mahamandal,’ translating to ‘Women’s financial progress association’ along with ‘Umed’ a body that governs the proceedings of Women’s rural microfinance Self-Help groups in the district. My friend, neurologist Dr Madhura Mulmuley Vibhute, and I were invited to speak about women’s mental health at Kamti. Madhura spoke about the invisible mental load that women carry, the mind-body connection and how chronic stress translates into physical pain. She nudged the women to take five minutes a day to do something they like/enjoy, to reduce stress and feel good for themselves. I facilitated an activity around emotional literacy, where the women picked up folded paper chits, which had names of emotions; they had to describe a situation from their life where they experienced that emotion. I like handing the mic to women who have never wrapped their hands around one. Something is empowering about hearing your own voice boom through a speaker, Loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. shared with them an image of the feelings wheel, created by the Sajhe Sapne Foundation. The event concluded with games organised by their coordinator, and the winners were given prizes

In Padsali, the event was organised by the new, young and enthusiastic ‘Gram sevika’ on behalf of the panchayat committee. Here, I spoke on 3 keys to better health for women. Better nutrition, better physical movement, and better mental health. I shared culturally appropriate practical tips with the women to achieve better health for themselves. The gram Sevika had organised fun games, handmade return gifts, and refreshments for all the women attendees. Many women from the village who contributed to health, education, and governance were felicitated and given plant saplings.

In contrast to these simple, open-air events in the villages, I saw pictures/ read news of how International Women’s Day was celebrated in cities, big and small, at events, large and tiny. Discounts were offered, women were praised, awards were given away, ads were released, and songs were played. The tokenism has sort of faded off on me. When I see my rural women patients tear up during my consultations, when I hear educated women struggling to strike a ‘work-life balance’ receiving flak, comments and even abuse at the hands of family members, the women’s day celebrations seem superficial, like they are just skimming the surface of a deep lake. The celebrations, the speeches, the wishes, the AI-generated pink women’s day graphics, seem performative, to say the least.

What was common to both the village events was that they both started by praying, not to God, but to a prominent woman historical icon- Savitribai Phule, who, along with her husband, started the first school for girls in India in 1848 AD.

I reflected on how the women like Savitribai, who came before us, made way for where we have reached today. It made me reflect on how much more can be done to achieve optimum, good-quality health and education in the rural areas. I wondered if I would live to see a gender-equitable world, where women received their due. I also wondered, how can our organisation measure the impact that can be driven by such activities, which are often viewed as ‘just talking’/ ‘soft work’

As I grapple with these questions and embark on a journey to find some sensible answers, maybe a decade or two will pass by!