A host of organisations conducted various programmes — including awareness campaigns, competitions, and a showcase of self defence skills — in the city on the occasion of International Women’s Day on Wednesday.
Addressing a meeting organised by the South Central Railway Employees Sangh, General Manager of South Central Railway Vinod Kumar Yadav stressed the need to encourage women to grow independent so that they could achieve equal status in all aspects of life. “Today, women work across all spheres (in railways), including as loco-pilots, ticket checking staff, RPF personnel, station masters, and engineers. When women in the workforce work together nothing is impossible to achieve,” he said.
Oncologist Bharath A. Vaswani underscored the need for awareness on cancer.
Actor Isha Koppikar participated in a programme where 175 women personnel of the Rachakonda Police Commissionerate displayed their skills in Korean martial art Hapkido, in which they had undergone training. Hapkido helped them improve self defence and developed their self confidence, a release from the commissionerate said.
On the occasion, Commissioner of Police Mahesh M. Bhagwat highlighted the work of the SHE teams and felicitated them with cash prizes.
Competitions in rangoli, lemon and spoon race, musical chairs, running race, and quiz formed part of the celebration at the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI). Chairperson, Gender Committee of ASCI, Sutanuka Dev Roy, said a health camp for women and adolescent girls would be organised on Thursday from 10.30 a.m.
Women empowerment
State Bank of Hyderabad conducted a programme where Osmania University professor G. Swathi Kumari spoke about the empowerment of women. Major Poonam Sharma, deputy manager of the bank’s Security Department, demonstrated various self-defence techniques.
Andhra Bank also organised a function, where Additional Commissioner, Customs and Central Excise, Sudha Koka, was the chief guest. An elocution competition was organised for women staff of the bank and the winners were given prizes, a release from the bank said.
The Indian Journalists Union urged the managements of media companies to develop and implement gender equality policies in the newsroom. IJU president S.N. Sinha and secretary general D. Amar said that while the number of women in journalism has grown manifold over the years, their involvement in the unions left much to be desired.
FehmiCare Hospital organised an awareness campaign on ‘a girl child is invaluable,’ where hospital director L. Fahmida Banu, Inspector General of Police Abhilasha Bisht, and several women who had made a mark in their chosen field, participated.
