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iWoman Global Awards given to 16 women achievers in Pune
The awards were presented at a function held at Indian Institute of Science and Research, Pune
The iWoman Global Awards 2019 were given to sixteen women for their meritorious accomplishments and contributions to society on the occasion of International Women’s Day (March 8) on Friday . The awards are constituted by a non-profit organisation, dedicated towards felicitating women from all economic strata, whose work is creating deeper social impact in the society.
The awards were presented to the winners by personalities drawn from different walks of life at a glittering function held at Indian Institute of Science and Research (IISER) Pune auditorium on Friday evening. The awards were given to Mandakini Amte (jury-lifetime achievement), Supreety Mishra ( business and entrepreneurship), Dr (Capt) Ritu Biyani (jury award-special mention), Chandro Tomar (sports ), Radhike Khanna (education), Pallavi Tiwari (science and innvocation), Ankita Bajpai (arts), Kiran Sethi (jury award-special mention), Dhyani Dave (sports), Prakashi Tomar (sports), Laxmi Gautum (jury award-woman icon), Indira Dangi (literature), Anuradha Thakur (arts), Ruma Devi (social work), Naina Parekh (jury award–special mention) and Medha Tadpatrikar (environment).
Major Poonam Khot (retd) in her address pointed out the growth and expansion of the awards initiative in countries like Spain, Mexico and the United States. She said, “The awards have been given to them for their sheer hard work, dedication and devotion to the society from different fields of human endeavour,” she said.
Khot also mentioned that the theme for 2019 awards was to combat the skin colour related discrimination and she mooted the idea that people of all skin colours were equal and this discrimination in the society must be brought to an end.
Amte thanked the organisers for giving her the lifetime achievement award. She said “Every day belongs to a woman and celebration of only one day as woman’s day is not proper. Women’s education is a result of the work done by great people like Savitribai Phule, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Maharshi Karve. Women has come forward and progressed in all walks of life due to education and literacy. A number of atrocities are being committed against women and their voice is being suppressed and we need to come out of this. Women themselves must come forward out of this scenario by way of education,” she said.
Against the odds, warriors maid for a new life
Sandhya Yadav from Latur district had the tragic script of her life pre-ordained when her husband was revealed to be addicted to alcohol.
The responsibility of her two children was her’s; mental, physical, emotional and financial.
That is when and why she reached out to Maidhub, a not-for-profit organisation, which helps women like Sandhya by finding them employment as maids.
“I was going through hell. Everyday my husband would come home drunk and he was not working. I decided to work and earn for the family. When I came to Pune I was a bit scared about whether the work will be good or not. Initially, I was working at a doctor’s house and today I am working with another family,” Sandhya says.
A special programme to felicitate maids on the occasion of International Women’s Day was organised on Friday afternoon at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Bhavan, near Pune railway station by Maidhub and thhe Green Tara Foundation.
Dr Siddharth Dhende, Pune’s deputy mayor; Sandhya Deshpande, public prosecutor at Pune district court; Chitra Rajuskar, professor at Karve Institute of Social Service; and Pradnya Waghmare from the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute were at the programme.
Afsana Shaikh from Ahmednagar district came from a very poor family. She says, “Women were not allowed to work in our famil, but somehow the situation came that I needed to work and earn for my family. I got training and most importantly, a sense of security about being able to work. Earlier, I worked in Ahmednagar district, but now am working in Pune. The family I work for treat me as their daughter and a lot has changed for me in terms of my language, lifestyle and dealing with people.”
In her speech, advocate Sandhya Deshpande cited simple ways to use the law when a woman is being harassed or is in a problem.
Dr Chitra Rajuskar, in her speech, said, “When women start giving priority to themselves, and then their family, society will start respecting them. The mental health of the woman is important and we should live a happy life.”
Deputy mayor Dhende said, “In 2019, women are capable of doing anything and we see that in every field. Women have knowledge, decision-making power and most importantly, they have the gift of motherhood. There is a need to give women ‘intellectual freedom’ which still is not seen in most sectors in our country.”
