India, March 8 -- On this International Women's Day, while women's safety remains a pressing issue, there's no denying the significant progress in women's empowerment and financial independence.

Though these changes are more visible in urban India, they will inevitably trickle down to rural areas, transforming society as a whole.

For true liberation, women - like everyone else - must possess a fundamental trait: Courage - the courage to carve their own path, to make choices unshackled by societal constraints and to stand firm in those decisions.

However, courage alone is not enough; it must be fortified by education and economic independence.

These twin forces enable women to exercise agency over their lives with confidence and convic...