CELEBRATIONS-- 13:

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY AT TAJ GATEWAY COONOOR ..

"BE BOLD FOR CHANGE"..

BY P S SUNDAR

Women employees of Taj Gateway Hotel Coonoor got an orientation on self-defence on March 8 as part of International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrations.

Karate Master Sensi P Balamurali demonstrated with his student defence strategies to overcome attacks and made women employees perform under his training.

“This is in line with our preparing our associates towards the UN theme for this year’s IWD: ‘Be bold for change’. We stress on physical boldness for women associates to fight against violence and mental boldness to take effective decisions at work, home and society”, Gateway General Manager R Muralidharan told me.   

“This has become necessary in the backdrop of increasing incidences of violence against women and the latest report of about 53 per cent of children in India being subject to violence in some form”, I said in my Chief Guest address.

Tracking the birth and growth of International Women’s Day from 1908 till now, I gave an outline as to the engagement women have in various spheres politics, aeronautics, defence, air force fighter piloting, all-women banks, all-women police stations, train driving etc etc ., besides traditional jobs like teaching, nursing and medicine.

“Progressive-bent companies have embarked on voluntary measures over and above Equal Remuneration Act  as Tatas care from child birth to elderly. Taj hotels grant even paternity leave to make men employees share delivery task with their wives.   In our fight to uphold womanhood today, we need a preventive and pro-active approach”, I noted.

Women associates staged various performances highlighting the significance of their role at work and in society.

General Manager Muralidharan honoured the women associates with mementoes and sumptuous lunch .. 

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)