Various events, including cyclothan, felicitation, talks and cultural programmes marked the International Women’s Day celebrations in the twin cities of Hubballi Dharwad and also across various districts in North Karnataka on Tuesday.
Members of Inner Wheel Club, Hubballi, organised ‘Umang Bicycle Rally’ to mark the 50th year celebration of Women’s Day. Scores of women of different age groups took part in the five-kilometre long bicycle rally.
Wearing pink, the women rode their bicycles from Tolanakere (Tank). The participants were given certificates and medals. Outstation cyclists also took part from their respective areas riding bicycles for five kilometres and sent their selfies after the bicycle rally.
Presiding over the International Women’s Day programme organised by the district administration, ZP in Dharwad, Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad Nitesh Patil emphasised the need for ensuring practice of gender equality every day.
He said women had proved their mettle in every field and girls had outsmarted boys in the field of education. Now the need was to provide them opportunities to become entrepreneurs, he said.
He said that despite extensive sensitisation programmes, many women were being deprived of opportunities to scale up the social and professional ladder. “Equal rights and opportunities are the fundamental rights of every woman and she should not be deprived of her rights”, he said.
Inaugurating the programme, Senior Judge C.M. Pushpalata said that in the male dominant society, women were playing a dual role of managing the family and supporting it by working in various sectors. “They have to fight for their rights both at home and outside. Social evils like dowry harassment, inequality continue to haunt modern women. The attitude of the society must change and people should respect women for their efforts”, she said.
Several woman achievers were honoured on the occasion. As part of the celebrations, a three-day exhibition of homemade items by the various Stree Shakti groups and women organisations at Kadapa Maidan was inaugurated by chairperson of State Silk Board Development Corporation Savita Amarshetty. Zilla Panchayat CEO Suresh Itnal and others were present.
AIMSS
The All-India Mahila Samskruthika Sanghatane (AIMSS) celebrated women’s day in Dharwad and Jogyellapur. State Treasurer of AIMSS Harini said that despite having excelled in various fields women were deprived of higher education, job opportunities and social security. Freedom for women, equality had still remained mere slogans, she said.
In Banking
Speaking at the women’s day programme at Karnataka Vikas Grameena (KVG) Bank, Chairman P/ Gopi Krishna said that large number of women were joining the banking industry and their contribution in the progress could not be denied. “In the changing scenario, woman employees are also playing a vital role in business development”, he said.
‘Break the Bias’
SDM University, Dharwad celebrated Women’s Day with the theme of “Break the bias” and felicitated writer Hanumakshi Gogi and vocalist Vidushee Shakti Patil on the occasion by member of Governing Council Padmalatha Niranjan, Principal of SDM Medical College Dr. Ratnamala Desai and Principal of Dental College Dr Balaram Naik. A free health screening camp for women was held to mark the occasion.
Similarly various organisations held talks, award ceremonies to mark the occasion. Music programmes were also held with female vocalists enthralling the audience. At few places women performed cultural programmes.
