Mangalore: Spirit of Womanhood Celebrated at St Agnes College
News by Svetlana Lasrado
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje, Ganesh Perla
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (VA)
Mangalore, Mar 13: A woman can make happiness bloom around her as she is the backbone of society. In view of celebrating the spirit of a liberated woman, St Agnes College (autonomous) had organized Women’s Week Celebration in commemoration of the International Women’s Day.
The valedictory function of the celebration was held on Saturday March 13. The programme commenced with a prayerful rendition by the students of the college along with a dance portrayal of motherly love that is the essence of womanhood.
Jane D’souza, vice-president of St Agnes Alumni Association was the chief guest and Dr Amitha Ray, Gynecologist, Fr Muller’s Hospital was the guest of honour.
Addressing the gathering Dr Amitha Ray elaborated on the journey of a woman from the shackles of family responsibilities to a liberated career woman. The present day woman is at par with their male counterparts in all fields like economics, medicine, defence, and politics among others. Quoting Amartya Sen, she extolled the diversified role a woman plays in a family. “When you empower a woman you empower the entire nation”, she added.
The message Jane D’Souza resonated among the crowd as she reminded them that Women’s Day should just not be a day to celebrate but it should be a lifelong affair. Women are not just a pair of hands to do the chores, she is not a memory box to remind others of important things, but she has an own identity. She urged the young women to take a step forward in this process of empowering a woman.
Other dignitaries who graced the occasion included the president of the function M Prem, principal of St Agnes College, Floric Lobo, vice- president of PTA, staff co-ordinator Dr Deviprabha Alva, assistant co- ordinator Agneita Aiman and the student co- ordinator Ruvina Monteiro.
On the occasion Ruvina Monteiro was felicitated for her hard work and determination in organizing the events that took place during the week. She was conferred the ‘Best Performer’ Award for her contribution to the activities of Women’s Cell.
The function served as a culmination of the various activities conducted during the week. There were guest lectures by eminent speakers like Vidya Dinkar, Samina Nayak and Elsie Tharian organized on topics that addressed the changing role of a woman in the present scenario and the challenges faced by her. There was also a seminar presentation competion on the theme ‘Woman and Crime’ and a talent show by the students of St.Agnes College. The workshop on March 8 was well attended by over 800 students participating from colleges across the city. Certificate of participation was awarded to all the participants.
A woman is a wonderful creation and the initiative serves as a step towards the emancipation of women.