Awareness Program for Women from Marginalized Communities on the Occasion of International Women’s Day

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, 8 March, Suma Blessings Foundation organized a special awareness program for women from marginalized communities, primarily homemakers. The program was inaugurated by the Foundation’s Project Coordinator, Ms. Ayushi Mehta, who warmly welcomed all the participating women and extended her best wishes on International Women’s Day.

During the program, Ms. Ayushi Mehta explained the significance of celebrating International Women’s Day on 8 March, its historical background, and the reason why this day is dedicated to women worldwide by governments. She further provided detailed information about various government schemes for women, including the Women Shakti Kendra Scheme, Women Helpline (181 – Single Number Scheme), Sakhi One Stop Centre Scheme, and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana. The objectives of these schemes and how they support women in becoming self-reliant were clearly explained to the participants.

The session encouraged active participation, and several important questions were raised by the women, such as:

• What steps should a woman take if she is forced out of her home by her family?
• What actions should be taken if a daughter leaves home under someone’s influence?
• How can a woman receive government support if she wants to start her own livelihood or business, and which schemes are available for this purpose?

All questions were addressed one by one by Ms. Ayushi Mehta, who also made the women aware of their legal rights and available support systems.

Following this, the women were informed about an upcoming initiative of Suma Blessings Foundation aimed at promoting self-reliance and self-employment among women. Under this initiative, the Foundation will soon launch a women’s self-employment training program, where women will receive skill-based training according to their interests and capabilities. This initiative is designed to help women become economically independent and contribute to their family’s financial well-being.

Subsequently, the Foundation’s Human Resource Manager, Ms. Shivani Singh, addressed the participants and shared insights on women empowerment. She emphasized the importance of women becoming self-reliant in today’s society and discussed ways in which women can build confidence and independence in their personal and professional lives.

An important highlight of the program was the self-defense training session conducted by NCC volunteer students accompanying the Foundation. Through simple demonstrations and practical techniques, the volunteers trained women and their daughters on how to protect themselves in unsafe or emergency situations, especially when they are alone.

To boost morale and encourage confidence, the program also included fun and engaging competitions for the women. Participants who performed well were awarded prizes, while others received consolation prizes as a token of encouragement and motivation.

The program concluded with the distribution of sweets among all participants, marking a successful and meaningful celebration of International Women’s Day.