Talks, seminars mark International Women's Day

New Delhi, Mar 8 (UNI) Scores of functions to celebrate and make the world realise, how women were equally contributing for development and well-being of the human being, were organised throughout the country on the occasion of the International Women's Day today.

Speaking at a function here, Bollywood actress Preity Zinta said women should stand up for themselves in the male-dominated society.

''Women's Day is a celebration of my being.... Frankly, women don't need any inspiration. They should inspire themselves each day as it comes,'' the actress said adding that women were not physically weak as they can endure the pain of giving birth to another life.

Meanwhile, number of women activists and women self-help groups have opposed the proposed Communal Violence Bill and Micro-finance Bill.

Both the Communal Violence (Prevention, control, and rehabilitation of victims) Bill, 2005 and the Micro Finance Sector Development and Regulation Bill, 2007 have already been cleared by the Union Cabinet and are likely to be tabled in the current session of Parliament.

Terming them as ''gender biased and anti-women'', they demanded that the legislations should be immediately withdrawn and re-drafted after wider deliberations.

In Punjab, the newly elected Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to mark the the International Women's Day, announced that no woman in Punjab will be called to a Police station even if there were a complaint registered against her.

A woman police officer will go to the house of the woman named in the complaint and take her statement, Mr Badal declared.

The state Commission for Women (PSCW) has so far received around 3,600 complaints and most of them were dowry-related.

Actress Mona Singh, of 'Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin' teleseries fame, lavished praise on the Madhya Pradesh government's welfare schemes for the fairer sex, particularly the 'Ladli Lakshmi' Scheme to be lauched next month for girls.

To mark the occasion, the Haryana government announced a bonanza of incentives for women, which included a monthly pension of Rs 500 to those who are 45 years of age and have two daughters, setting up of 'mahila chaupals' in each village and priority to women in employment.

In Kerala, a lady took over as a first women director of a Zoo on the occasion of Women's Day.

Indian Airlines also joined in celebrations in a unique way by operating an all women crew flight on the Chennai-Mumbai sector.

The Airlines sources told UNI that the flight was piloted by Captain M Deepa and co-piloted by Captain M Tayal with five women cabin crew members Usha, Hema, D'Cruz, Manu and Rachel on board.

In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy said the state government had taken several measures to empower women and improve their economic condition.

''The government had provided Rs 3,500 crore to the Women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the current financial year with minimum interest rates to improve their financial condition,'' the Chief Minister said.

Succesful women speakers in Mumbai spoke about how their parents have guided them to make them eminent personalities in society.

''My father helped my metamorphosis from a caterpillar to a butterfly,''Suneetha Reddy, Director (Finance) of Apollo Hospitals said.

Meghna Ghai, President, Whistling Woods International, said ''I remember how my dad Subhash Ghai started his life as a graduate from the FTII. He slept on the roads of Mumbai before he made it. He has shared his vision with me at the Whisting Woods International. He said if he gets something he will return it to society. I feel very humbled to have got this opportunity so soon in life.'' In Meghalaya, state Housing Minister Irin Lyngdoh urged women folk to actively participate in all social, economic and political activities in the state.

Participating in the International Women's day celebration organised by the North East Network Ms Lyngdoh urged NGOs to generate awareness among women about their rights.

"Education of women is a priority as it will enable them to acquire the basic skills and abilities for equal participation in the process of brining a social change," she said.

Several programmes were also organised in Jammu and Kashmir to mark the occasion.

UNI