CHENNAI: As part of Women’s Day celebrations, social activists K S Lakshmi and Padma Venkatraman were awarded for their contribution in the fields of education and social work by Sarojini Varadappan, Assistant Director, Women’s Voluntary Service of Tamil Nadu, here on Tuesday.
Padma Venkatraman, who has worked for the rehabilitation of leprosy patients and has been part of several committees of the United Nations, spoke about the challenges faced by women across the globe in detail. “Women living in the deserts of Rajasthan have to spend more time drawing water, as it has to be sourced from a distance,” she said. In some countries religion is still a barrier for women, she added. Padma has also tried improving sanitary facilities in schools because of lack of toilets has resulted in drop out of girls from schools.
In her address, K S Lakshmi, Principal, Meenakshi College for Women, said she was happy to be born as an Indian woman. She recalled the time post India’s independence, when the right to vote was given to women along with men, and said, “It is strange how women in Western and European countries had to struggle to get their voting rights.”
She urged the students to be disciplined and advised against taking any cue from films for leading their lives.