It was Mao Zedong who famously quipped that “Women hold up half the sky!” Statistically, women indeed constitute half of humanity. However, in terms of influence, the female gender exerts proportionately more.

History has shown that even powerful men were greatly influenced by their mothers during childhood, and grew up inheriting much of the values imparted matrilinealy. It is important to understand this matrilineal influence on the development of children, so that we could apply it to benefit humanity infinitely.

Mothers are our first teachers, and often, a refuge for many of us in want. Mothers and sisters should therefore be empowered with skills and spiritual awareness to exert positive influence upon society. They truly have the potential to inspire change to achieve greater well-being for all.

Nalanda celebrates and pays tribute to the pivotal role of women in all aspects of human and societal development. Happy Women’s Day!