Students of Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Othakadai had the opportunity to hear some wise words from Additional Superintendent of Police S. Vanitha who presided over their Women’s Day function on Saturday.

The ADSP, who spoke on inequalities between men and women beginning right from the time of birth, said that till date there were only 933 women for every 1,000 men in Tamil Nadu. Recounting the recent case of female infanticide involving a 31-day-old baby girl near Usilampatti, Ms. Vanitha said girls need to fight for their very survival.

Appreciating the confidence of students at the school, she said that they were forced to do public speaking as part of their training. “Students here perform well on stage. This kind of confidence will help them in future,” she said.

Headmistress S. Sashithra said that it was learnt that women would be inducted as soldiers in the army starting 2021. “This is very inspiring news. Women have for years thought of their inability to summon the strength to face challenges. By showing strength, one can finally choose to express their individuality. We only need confidence,” she said.