Women’s Day celebrated in Bengaluru with great fervour

An all-women pink booth was inaugurated at CV Raman Nagar General Hospital. It will be manned by women vaccinators, site supervisors and security personnel.DH PHOTO/Janardhan B K

The city has been in prep mode from the weekend to welcome International Women’s Day with several organisations giving final touches to the celebrations.

And indeed, the organisations — right from government agencies to charitable organisations — injected great excitement in marking the special day with the spirit of womanhood as the central theme.

Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC), for instance, held a two-day free trip to Nandi Hills and Dharmasthala for their women employees and Covid warriors. Not stopping with that, KSTDC is also offering special discounts for women tourists making reservations with them on March 8 and 9.

Meanwhile, the city’s lone woman MLA Sowmya Reddy inaugurated a midnight walkathon organised by Rainbow Children’s Hospital and IGP Roopa Moudgil. “I always choose challenges,” Sowmya told hundreds of participants who stressed on women’s safety in the night. “And this is why I’m the only woman MLA of Bengaluru.”

The celebrations were also taken to the tracks as an all-women crew for the first time operated Basava Express, a goods train running between Bengaluru and Mysuru.

Injecting a little fun and thrill, Cycool and Spokes Women, Bengaluru’s largest women cycling community, held a cycling treasure hunt on Sunday, in which 150 women of all ages took part.

On the special day, state Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar inaugurated the all-women pink booth at CV Raman Nagar General Hospital manned by women vaccinators, site supervisors and security personnel.

He also released the special Women’s Day envelope brought out by India Post.

The state wing of NSS and the state Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports organised a discussion on gender equality.

Inaugurating the event, Sports Minister Narayanagowda said: “Women provide great strength to the society”.

BBMP Officers and Employees Welfare Association felicitated women officials, employees and achievers with the ‘Ditta Mahila Award’, besides organising a blood donation drive and a health camp.