New Delhi, March 7: The struggles and contributions of women should not be confined to one day and rather they should be celebrated every day, said Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik.
In a special interaction with IANS, the wrestler said that the celebration of March 8 as International Women’s Day always brings smiles on all women’s faces but this should not be limited to just one day, rather every day should be an occasion to salute their grit and fighting spirit as they go through difficult stages, time to time.
International Women’s Day is observed globally on March 8 to honour and celebrate women’s accomplishments and contributions to society, culture, economics, and all other aspects of life.
Sakshi Malik also shared personal experiences and stated that a woman has to face multiple challenges and upheavals in her life and it’s the fighting spirit and resolve that helps her scrape through.
“When I started wrestling, I had very limited resources. Despite all that, I not only achieved success in my career but also balanced my work after becoming a mother. A mother has many responsibilities, and she can handle all of them simultaneously. Therefore, women’s contribution should be respected every day,” the Olympian said.
She said that earlier there was a lot of discrimination between boys and girls in Haryana. But, now a lot has changed. Sharing her medal winning experience, she said that her success contributed in changing the thinking of society.
“Films are being made on the achievements of female sportspersons; people are getting inspired to promote their daughters. Today girls are performing well in every field, be it sports or any other field,” Sakshi Malik elaborated.
She also cited example of Manu Bhaker, who recently made the nation proud with her Olympic exploits. Sakshi Malik believes that if a woman is determined, focussed and disciplined towards her goal, she can achieve anything.
Elaborating on the challenges faced by women players, she said, “The sports career of a woman player is very short. We are not able to stretch it for long because we have to think about a lot of things. My message to women players is to perform at their best without being afraid or nervous.”
IANS