“From Seed to Strength: The Journey of Women’s Freedom and Empowerment”

A tree that has no strength of its own, nor wings, humbly carries its seed like a child in its lap,
rising monumentally from a fallen place. This is the story of a cotton seed, often overlooked
and unheard. This is also the story of every woman’s birth.
The Manu Sutra is the earliest reference to the discussion of women’s freedom. It states that
a woman, who lives under her father’s protection in adolescence, her husband’s in youth, and
her son’s in old age, does not deserve freedom. Today, women’s freedom is often
misunderstood. Modern laws guarantee equality between men and women. The Manu Sutra
was written with the intention of protecting women, but male society has misinterpreted the
phrase “Na Sthree Swathanthryamarhathi” to mean that women do not deserve freedom.
This misinterpretation deeply affects our thoughts.
Some view women as prisoners. True women’s freedom means social, economic, cultural, and
educational upliftment. Anything that undermines women’s self-esteem stands in the way of
this freedom. Women’s freedom is not about escaping duties, obligations, and responsibilities.
Instead, it is about creating opportunities for women’s imaginations to benefit society.
Recognizing femininity means proving that women are capable of working alongside men in
any field.
Women have always been treated as living beings, fulfilling roles as mothers, sisters, and
daughters. No thoughts can diminish this reality.
Sneha Jackson
Assistant Professor,
Kalinga University,
Raipur