Along with the rest of the world, the International Women’s Day was celebrated by various organizations and NGOs in different places of Kokrajhar district of Assam with pomp and gaiety and affirmed to empower women in every field.
There had been various cultural and sporting activities for the women besides deliberation on the issues of the women.
The NEDAN Foundation celebrated the day at Weaving Destination Campus, Onthaigwlao near Kokrajhar in collaboration with Kokrajhar district administration.
NERSWN NGO based at Kokrajhar observed the day at its complex at Jwmwipuri near BB Engineering College, Kokrajhar.
The Women wing of BPF observed the day at Bishmuri while women wing of the United People’s Party, Liberal (UPPL) observed it at Rupnath Brahma Memorial Field, Ramfalbil with various sports competitions among the women.
Addressing the gathering at Onthaigwlao as chief guest, the chairperson of the Assam State Commission for Women, Sikimiki Talukdar said the gender discrimination had been on practice even today as a tradition and male are given more dispensation in the society than female.
She said women should take permission from their husband to go out or to take decision. She also said there should be equal participation of women in the society and all gender discrimination should be stopped among all sections of the society.
“It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. International Women’s Day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe,” she said.
She further said since those early years, International Women’s Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike.
The growing international women’s movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nations women’s conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women’s rights and participation in the political and economic arenas.
She also said nowadays, the women could become competent to fly even Mig-21 and warplanes as well as in aerospace.
The chairperson of NEDAN Foundation, Digambar Narzary said the mission of the NGOs was to liberate women from the clutches of exploitation and all vulnerability.
He said 335 women have been given livelihood by the NGO after rescued from the clutches of traffickers since the last ten years and free education to 1000 students since 2012.
He also said the NGO had been working against human trafficking and to rescue the trafficked girls, they had started ‘109 Help Line’ and an ‘One Stop Centre’ and 12-members team of the NGO are on their 24-hour service to rescue the missing and trafficked girls.
Narzary said they will start imparting training to 1000 female youths every year for their livelihood at the newly laid Youth Development Institute at Onthaigwlao in Kokrajhar.
He also said the NGO has been given livelihood opportunity to the rescued women and girl students from poor families.
The meeting was also addressed and attended by ADCs of Kokrajhar, Prafulla Chandra Barman and Debeswar Bora, EAC-Nonika Terongpi, CHD, Sports, BTC Jajnabari Mohilary, Deputy Chairperson of ASCW-Kaberi Borkotoki, Joint Director, Health Services, Kokrajhar Dr Anubha Das, DSP, Kokrajhar-Nahid Karishma and social worker Rani Helen Wary.
Meanehile, BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary attended the celebration of International Women’s Day by Women Wing of BPF at Bishmuri as chief guest while former Rajya Sabha MP UG Brahma, social activist Pratibha Brahma and BTC MCLA Jatirindra Brahma attended the programme organized by Women Wing UPPL at Rupnath Brahma Memorial Field, Ramfalbil.