Team Herald
MARGAO: Governor Mridula Sinha said no celebration of women’s programme is complete without male presence and opined that the attendance by males should be at least 33 per cent if not more. She was speaking at a function held at Ravindra Bhavan to celebrate International Women’s Day.
“India right from Vedic times has given women a higher status than men and that is why Lord Brahma had said that he has created a mother to nurture nature,” she said pointing out that even in worship there is a conjoint deity of Lord Shiva and Parvati.
“A sister whether young or old always blesses the brother whether at rakshabandan or bhau bhij and that is why the giver is always above the receiver,” she said while disclosing that she gets immense pleasure when she sees in her native village fathers taking their daughters to school on a cycle.
She also pointed out that it is woman who earns respect for her husband even in his family as before marriage the bachelor son does not even have a proper bed to sleep on but is given a proper sleeping place only when he gets married.
She along with others like MLA Alina Saldanha and South Goa Collector Anjali Sherawat praised Ravindra Bhavan for organizing the programme and also applauded them for felicitating women achievers as that would motivate other women to do their best and shine in the world.
Disclosing that she was a primary school teacher, Collector Anjali said that one simple line in an advertisement inviting applications for the Union Public Service Examination not only motivated her but changed her life.
“The advertisement had one last line saying ‘applications from women candidates are encouraged’ and this motivated me to apply and that changed my life as I got selected,” she said while stressing the need to treat women on par with men as far as educational opportunities are concerned.
“Haryana which is known to be a patriarchal society is now giving India lady sportspersons who are attaining international recognition,” she said adding that empowerment comes from economics and that women have to be made economically independent which can be done through education.
Alina Saldanha while applauding the achieving women present on the occasion said celebration of women’s day helps to bring forth the issues faced by them in their day to day lives with a hope of finding some solution.
Ravindra Bhavan that celebrated women’s day for the first time since its establishment also felicitated four women who have earned accolades at international level. They were fashion designers Verma D’Mello, Riddhi and Siddhi Mapxenkar and singer Sumedha Dessai.
Ravindra Bhavan Chairperson Prashant Naik welcomed suggestions from the crowd to improve the programme for next year and also to have other programmes throughout the year for women empowerment.
