Kolkata, Aug 8 (IANS): In an effort to empower women and equip them with self-defence techniques, Rotary Club of Calcutta South Circle with the support of 'Notun Jibon', an NGO working with such girls of Red Light area organised a workshop named 'Virangana', where 23 hapless daughters of destitute single mothers from the Kalighat Red Light were given training to defend themselves.
"As women empowerment is one of the most focus area of the current rotary year adopted by Rotary International District 3291, it was felt that every woman in our society should have basic awareness about their own defence -- this reckons to be at par with their literacy, economic development and health improvement -- sum-total of which results into empowerment," a senior member of the Rotary Club of Calcutta South Circle said.
"These women self-defence workshops are an initiative of Rotary International District 3291 and this workshop was the first amongst a chain of similar events throughout the year. Our rotary club Calcutta South Circle was host of this inaugural event. Like this many other clubs may volunteer to organise such workshops amongst females of various segments of our society, including the poor and destitute," he added.
All the 23 girls with three of their seniors, who look after them, have undergone training in "AIKIDO", a modern Japanese Martial Art, under Internationally acclaimed trainer Sensei Avijit Mitra, who is also instrumental in Calcutta Police Project -- Tejaswini, and his team -- Sensei Utpal Chakroborty and Sensei Deeptanil Roy.
The workshop included Diet camp and nutrition supervised by two doctors, including Ananya Bhowmick, and psychological counselling by Samapika Das Biswas to make it holistic towards empowering girls to create their own identity.
"Apart from closely monitoring these girls who had undergone training in the first batch, the Rotary International District 3291 will work rigorously with the women and the girls of the underprivileged society in Calcutta as well as in the state.
"It is the aim of the club to train these women and girls with self-defence techniques so that they fight back any kind of eventuality. We have other programmes also to make them self-sufficient," another member added.
"A tribute to women empowerment, 'Virangana' project has changed the lives of many women across the country and we hope this happens in Kolkata as well as in West Bengal," he said.