The Paradox of Women’s Day: Commercialization, Depoliticization and Commodification of A Dynamic Radical Revolutionary Idea Shalu Nigam This women’s day is being celebrated with much vigor on the social media, the mainstream media as well as otherwise. There are well articulated ideas about women’s empowerment that were raised and lively debates spanned over the range of issues including those related to a heated passionate arguments generated by the ban on the documentary relating to gang rape held in December 2012. Further, not only this year, but for past few years, I have been receiving sms’s on my mobile phone and emails wishing me `happy women’s day’ on March 8. These were the messages from banks, brands selling women clothes and accessories, health and wellness clinics as well as from beauty parlours among others. Some of these also offer discount on this special occasion! For instance, a beauty parlour launched recently announced free manicure, pedicure and hairdos with 50% discount because `women are special and on the women’s day they need to feel special’ says the tag line. Another of its competitor advertised, “pamper the woman for a day, she cares for you for her whole life’. A cosmetic product company offered special discount on the women’s day on the “Exotic eyeliner for the special woman, because your eyes speak much more than you think”. Another one selling women’s branded clothes declared, “This women’s day, indulge for the `woman of substance’ in your life”. All these announcements use the special occasion of women’s day to promote the culture of consumption by alluring men and women to spend lavishly on luxuries as they `deserve’ the opulence. Also, the newspapers and electronic media were full of advertisements which attempt to sell range of products – from diamonds sets and gold jewelry to fancy lingerie sets, kitchen accessories, branded clothes and various life style products specifically on the occasion of women’s day. The purpose is to `empower’ women as consumers in exercising choices and spend `because they are worth it’. The capitalist patriarchy promotes a culture which endorse women as `ideal’ wives, mothers, homemakers and office goers who after work take care of family and still fit in the `image of beautiful women’ thus fostering double and triple discrimination against women. Regressive