As many government and non-government organisations organised many events to mark International Women’s Day across Odisha, Chief Minister launched a toll-free helpline number 181 for women in distress on Wednesday.
The 24x7 helpline, which will be available in all the 30 districts of the State, will extend prompt response to women affected by violence and provide information about women-related schemes and a range of other services, Mr Patnaik said while speaking at a State level function organised here to mark the day.
Observing that more and more women were contributing towards the development of the society by proving themselves in various fields, Mr. Patnaik said a lot was left to be done for political social and economical empowerment of women.
While former Chief Minister late Biju Patnaik had introduced reservation for women in the Panchayati Raj system and government jobs in the nineties, the State government had taken it forward by keeping 50% posts reserved for women in the three-tier Panchayati Raj system in the State, he added.
A silent change
The Chief Minister further said that women of Odisha had brought a silent change in their socio-economic condition by about 50 lakh of them joining the women self help groups. Many women who had achieved success in their respective fields along with women employees and workers engaged in implementation of various women welfare schemes were felicitated by Mr. Patnaik on the occasion.