Northeast Desk, 6th August: Hub Empowerment for Women in Gangtok district conducted a comprehensive awareness session on August 5, focusing on the ‘Nasha Mukht Bharat’ initiative, skill development for women, and the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign. Held at the DAC Hall, the event was led by Manikala Gurung, SWO from the Women & Child Development Department, and featured prominent speakers including IAS Tushar Nikhare, District Collector of Gangtok, Suman Gurung from the skills department, High Court Advocate Gulsan Lama, and Assistant Collector Sandeep Kumar.
Manikala Gurung opened the program by welcoming attendees and outlining the session’s goals. Tushar Nikhare emphasized the role of education in empowering women to better their families and society, addressing the pressing issue of youth drug abuse in Sikkim. He called for collective responsibility in tackling this societal issue.
Manikala Gurung highlighted the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ initiative, which aims to address gender inequality, protect the girl child, and improve the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR). Suman Gurung discussed various skill development programs offered by the state government, including bakery, pickle making, tailoring, and specialized training for educated women, such as spa therapy and air hostess training.
Gulsan Lama elaborated on the ‘Nasha Mukht Bharat’ initiative by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, focusing on combating drug abuse. He outlined penalties under the Anti-Drug Act, including fines and imprisonment based on drug quantities, and stricter consequences for government employees and students found with illegal substances.
The session, attended by a diverse group of women from the district, underscored the government’s commitment to empowering women and addressing drug abuse.
Read More: Central Government Convenes All-Party Meeting on Bangladesh Crisis