Bhubaneswar : Taking forth the vision of their revered Founder, Prof Achyuta Samanta, to reaffirm their solidarity with women, KiiT International School, commemorated the occasion of International Women’s Day with the second edition ‘Womaniya 2.0’. The event hosted a panel discussion which was graced by eminent speakers that included, Renowned Indian mythologist, speaker, illustrator and author Mr. Devdutt Pattanaik, Dr. Sruti Mohapatra, Founder & Chief Executive of Swabhiman, Mr. Bappaditya Biswas, Textile artist, Partner and Designer at Bailou and Byloom and Ms Rita Bhimani, Veteran Public Relations Professional & Author. Dr. Mona Lisa Bal, Chairperson, KiiT International School also partook in the discussions and shared her views on breaking the gender barriers.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Mona Lisa Bal, Chairperson, KiiT International School said, “Women’s Day should not only be a celebration of the achievements of women but also a lesson in gender equality. It is time to shake up our system of age-old gender norms and gender roles that exist. This can only be dismantled by changing the thought process of our next generations. Schools must enrich the young impressionable minds about equality to help them break stereotypes. It should not be a forced learning but something that should be naturally imbed, nurtured and inculcated as a way of living. Gender demarcation will only hold us back from progressing as a society.”

Womaniya recognizes that the need of any hour is the collective advocacy for women’s rights and to bridge the gaps created by a male-dominated society. It aims to commence a dialogue and to channel the narrative towards relevant issues faced by women in different spheres of life and career. It seeks to create a more egalitarian space that can give birth to a mutually beneficial ecosystem. The event kick-started with a performance by a young guitarist who mesmerized the audience. This was followed by the panel discussion where the panellists shared their views on IWD 2022 campaign theme: #BreakTheBias and Who is a woman of substance? The program concluded with the felicitation of achievers working for the collective betterment of women.

-Odisha Age