New Delhi: The National Commission for Women celebrated International Women's Day with great spirit on Tuesday under the theme ‘She the Change Maker’. The Commission celebrated and honored the achievements of 'Women Extraordinaire' who chose to challenge all odds and carved their way through extreme grit and determination.
The Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development Indevar Pandey, and Chairperson of National Commission for Women Rekha Sharma graced the occasion. MoS Education Annpurna Devi attended the program as Chief Guest and said that women have always been respected in the Indian tradition. In ancient India, women excelled in every field including art and war.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma shared her message on International Women's day and said, "It is very important for every woman to be self-reliant mentally, physically, and economically. Follow your dreams. Every woman should be self-reliant and should be taking their own decisions and that is my view for India when it comes to our women."
Talking about the safety and security of women in India, the NCW chief said that women still women do have concerns about their safety and security. "Although the government is working on new laws, amending previous laws, it is the mindset in the society that needs to change. People should work on their sons rather than telling their daughters not to go out. Changing the mindset of the society is the biggest challenge and we all should work on it", she added.
Addressing the gathering, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Indevar Pandey stressed the importance of more women participation in the workforce. He also said that there is a need to change the role of women from job seekers to job-givers. On the occasion of Women's Day, the Commission felicitated extraordinary women from different fields and celebrated their achievements.
Of NCW's 'Women Extraordinaire', were Dr. Tessy Thomas, the “Missile Woman of India”, and Director General (Aeronautical Systems), DRDO; Dr. Kalpana Saroj, Padma recipient, and Chairperson, Kamani Tubes; Justice (Retd) S. Vimala, 1st woman to be appointed as judge of Chennai Mahila Court; Anita Kundu, 1st Indian woman to climb Mount Everest from both the Indian and the Chinese sides; Ishrat Akhter, 1st international wheelchair basketball player from Kashmir, and Vartika Shukla, 1st Chairperson & Managing Director of Engineers India Limited (EIL). The women achievers shared their inspiring journey with the audience in a panel discussion.
As part of the Women's Day celebrations, the Commission also organized National Women's Parliaments and street plays across different parts in India in collaboration with State Commissions for Women. NukkadNatakk in collaboration with different State Commissions including Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, and Haryana have been organized on topics such as education and health of girls and women.
The Commission also organized National Parliament for Women with different State Commissions for Women including Telangana, Haryana, and Goa. Sessions on various government schemes, Acts, topics of nutrition of girls and women were held as a part of the Women’s Day celebrations.
