International Women’s Day celebrated with enthusiasm

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 8

A lecture series on women empowerment and gender equality was organised as a part of International Women’s Day celebrations at Central University of Punjab on Sunday.

Keynote speakers were Prof Neelam Garewal, member of Punjab Public Service Commission, and Pooja Gupta, MD (microbiology), Max hospital, Bathinda. At the event, the university honoured their alumni, Mandeep Kaur, for winning the title of ‘Miss Punjab Asia International India’.

Prof Monisha Dhiman, the programme coordinator of NSS cell, welcomed the guests. Prof SK Bawa, the director of IQAC, introduced the speakers and said the theme of this year’s function was ‘I Am Generation Equality: Realising Women’s Rights’. She applauded the achievements of woman achievers such as Indira Gandhi, the first woman Prime Minister of the country; Pratibha Patil, the first woman President; Kalpana Chawla, the first astronaut from Indian origin to go on space; Mother Teresa, the first Indian women to win Nobel Peace Prize; Justice M Fathima Biwi, the first woman judge appointed by the Supreme Court of India; Mary Kom, the first Indian women boxer to win the gold medal in Asian Games; and Arati Saha, the first Indian women to swim across the English channel. She concluded her address with a message that women empowerment is the ultimate solution for the growth of our country.

Prof Neelam Garewal, in her keynote address, spoke on issues and challenges of working women in India. She talked about discrimination being faced by women in education, jobs, promotion and access to resources. She discussed various challenges being faced by working women such as wage gap, descriptive gender roles and prescriptive bias. She said women should raise voice for their rights and for equal treatment.

Pooja Gupta said with proper support, women could do wonders not only at their homes but also in their professional lives. She said under the Generation Equality Campaign of the United Nations, we need to bring together people of every age, gender, religion, caste and race and take actions to create ‘gender-equal world’ for all. Nutrition of women should be a part of empowering women and focus should be laid to end malnutrition in women, she added.

At another event orgnaised at a city hotel, former Cabiner Minister Lakshmikant Chawla presided over as the chief guest. Popular Punjabi folk singer Gurmeet Bawa was the guest of honour at the event where women from all walks of life participated in several competitions.

Women from 11 fields were honoured for their achievements. Rupinder Bawa, Raman Sekhon, Mamta Jain, Minakshi, Seema, Veena Garg and Jaswinder Rano were felicitated with Woman of Bathinda award.

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