legislation alone cannot emancipate women, said President Pranab Mukherjee at an address on International Women’s Day. “New legislations, no matter how well conceived, must be supported by efficient enforcement mechanisms,” said Mukherjee. The President also conferred the Stree Shakti Puraskar to six illustrious women in recognition of their achievements.
“There is a need for a fundamental re-setting of our mental and moral make-up, our civic sense and our social conduct. We must do all that we can to revive our tradition of according due honour and respect to our mothers and sisters; by doing so we will honour ourselves,” he said. Mukherjee said that as housewives, mothers, teachers, businesswomen at the grassroots and executives in the top echelons of the corporate world, women have, through their individual efforts made contributions to build the India of today.
“As respected professionals in all walks of life, women have, in no less measure, made their mark in the frontiers of science, space exploration and research alike,” he said, making a special mention of the women working in the agricultural sector.
The President said that women in this sector are the mainstay of India’s food security — and also the scores of women workers who toil shoulder to shoulder with men in building, brick by brick — the mighty physical infrastructure of our country. The six women who got the award include Dr Vartika Nanda, a faculty member at lady Shri Ram College in Delhi for creating awareness on women’s issues through media.
Manasi Pradhan from Odisha was honoured for her work in the field of women’s empowerment. Dr M Venkaiah from Andhra Pradesh was honoured for her contribution in the field of women’s health. Bina Sheth lashkari from Maharashtra was honoured for her achievement in the field of education and training while
T Radha K Prashanti from Andhra Pradesh has been honoured for her achievement in the field of providing support to orphans, visually impaired, handicapped and destitute women. Dr Seema Sakhare, from Maharashtra, was awarded for her contribution in the field of women’s rights, gender issues, legal counselling and institutional support to women and girls. The awardees for the Stree Shakti Puraskar are nominated by State Governments, MPs, VIPs on suo motu basis, and selected by a national level Screening Committee. There are six awards that carry cash prize of Rs 3 lakh each and citations.