A slew of events were held to mark International Women’s Day on Sunday. The main event was the Sthree Shakti Samavesha organised by the district administration in association with the Mysuru Zilla Panchayat and the Department of Women and Child Welfare.
It was inaugurated by Mysuru ZP president Parimala Shyam. Vice-president Gowramma Somashekar addressed the gathering and stressed the importance of recognising the contribution of women in various sectors.
She said women should strive to leave a mark in their chosen field and there was no field in which they have not left their impression. Women are present in social, political, industrial, economic and cultural fields and are not destined to remain within the four walls of their homes, she added.
She said it was imperative to encourage women to take up the profession of their choice and enable them to become financially and economically independent and respect their choice. However there are issues related to exploitation, harassment and gender discrimination and efforts should be made to redress them besides creating greater awareness on gender equality.
Mysuru ZP member Mangala Somashekar called upon the women to make use of the facilities introduced by the government exclusively for them and strive to reach greater heights. She stressed the importance of education for women and imperatives of curbing the practice of child marriage.