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A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with journalist Vishva Samani, a Hindu centred in Vedanta, the philosophical teachings of the Upanishads.

Good morning.

It’s International Women’s Day tomorrow, and as a mother of two young girls – I’m paying close attention to calls for greater gender equality. It is often reported that globally women spend at least twice as much time as men on domestic work.

Indeed I often wonder if I had spent more time mastering recipes from my mother than tapping away on my laptop in my twenties, I might be better equipped for my days as a mother which are so often dominated by meal planning, cooking and laundry chores.

But of course mums don’t only pass down the secrets to preparing delicious dishes to their daughters. In the Hindu tradition, mothers are also considered as custodians of an ancient culture, responsible for passing down principles and values to their children.

A deep appreciation for the Bhagavad Geeta is something my mother worked hard to pass on to me – for many years to deaf ears. But now I am in her shoes; passing down a desire to live a meaningful, creative and noble life is something I sincerely hope to give my girls.

It started in the womb for my elder daughter…I spent six weeks during pregnancy studying Scriptures at an ashram in India – she claims to still remember that trip …and has now evolved into regular Sanskrit chanting together early in the morning and a good dose of listening to enthralling stories from Hindu epics like the Ramayana, that introduce her to characters that display courage and bravery.

And so tomorrow, on International Women’s Day 2020 – while some rightly highlight their tireless efforts to fight for gender equality – let those of us who are parents, teachers or supportive guides to girls and young women, express gratitude that we have the opportunity to empower them on their inner journey.