Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: Numerous events marked International Women’s Day in the Capital Tuesday. The women and child welfare department organised an event at Soochana Bhawan, and felicitated 30 anganwadi workers selected from different districts for their service under the ICDS programme. The anganwadi workers received certificates and a purse of Rs5,000.
Women and child development minister Usha Devi was chief guest at the function. “The role of women in the development of the society can’t be denied. We need to work together for the development of women not only in urban areas but also in rural reaches,” she said.
Textile and handicrafts minister Snehangini Chhuria also addressed the gathering. She said: “It is a must to develop women of the country. Apart from education, we need to make them aware of their basic rights. Many laws have been passed for their protection, be it from domestic violence or other forms of violence, we need to spread awareness about this so that in case of violence they can seek legal protection.”
Vishal Kumar Dev, the commissioner cum secretary of women and child welfare department, spoke about the decrease in the sex ratio in the state. “In the past three years the population of females has decreased. Nayagada has the least population of females; in Ganjam, Angul and Dhenkanal also the population is low compared with other districts. Trafficking of girls has grown to be a major issue in the state this year along with trafficking of women. We need to tackle this problem immediately and take care of the security of the girl child and women of the state,” Dev said.
Three districts were also felicitated for exemplary performance in the implementation of ICDS and related programmes. Jagatsinghpur was the best of the lot; Mayurbhanj and Dhenkanal were adjudged second and third respectively.
Apart from felicitating the representatives a video created by Doordarshan on the development of the girl Child was also released to create public awareness. Two audio jingles on women’s empowerment produced by All India Radio were also released at the function.
Members of Rotary Tristy and Inner Wheel District took out a rally from Master Canteen on International Women’s Day. Many prominent women from the city participated in the event.
Students of Rama Devi Women’s University, too, took out a rally from the university campus to Rupali Square to mark the day. Thousands of students participated in the event at which they held up placards with messages and raised slogans.
Students of Nav Nirman Chatra Sangahthan, meanwhile, celebrated the women’s day by going to police stations of the city and presenting flowers to police personnel.
They also presented flowers to different women vendors and spent time with them.
In another event, women in Nilamadhaba Basti celebrated the day by talking about menstruation. “Despite campaigns for women empowerment, there are a number of things which need to be changed. While talking about women’s health and hygiene, most ignore issues related to menstrual hygiene,” Dr Chayanika Mishra, an adolescent hygiene expert who attended the programme, said.
Practical Action, a UK-based NGO has partnered with local non-profit CCWD and started a unique campaign ‘Sunalo sakhi’ targeting young girls and women and spread awareness about menstruation.
