The women achievers from the villages around Narendrapur, Dhenkanal District of Odisha woke up to a pleasant surprise on the 8th of March. The Tata Steel BSL plant located at Narendrapur used the recent International Women’s Day celebrations to felicitate this group of dedicated superwomen.
The Assistant Collector of Angul, Ms Madhusmita Bishi presided as the Chief Guest on the occasion. Other notable members present included the State Coordinator for Climate Parliament, Ms Itishree Kanungo, Dr Payal Dash and Dr Suranjana Hazarika from the Department of Public Health, Govt. of Odisha.
The programme also saw the participation of the Gurulaxmi Cooperative, an amalgamation of representatives of 150 Self Help Groups which are supported by Tata Steel BSL. 3 other Self Help Groups were also recognized for their contributions to the society.
14 individuals were commended for stepping up and shattering the traditional stereotypes. These self-empowered women had dared to push the boundaries and initiated enterprises like mask making, mushroom cultivation, grocery and garment shop management, tailoring, etc.
Special mention must be made of Maa Tarini SHG of Nuahahaha Panchayat and Shakti Maa Anapurna SHG of Kusupanga Panchayat who are involved in Phenyl production and Maa Banadurga SHG of Nuagaon Panchayat who has a hand in fish farming. These Self Help Groups were all congratulated for their pioneering projects.
Ms Renuka Singh and Ms Sagarika Satpathy from the CSR Department and Ms Maitreyee Deb from the Environment Department of the Tata Steel BSL were tasked with the handling of the event. With COVID-19 restrictions preventing large gatherings, Tata Steel BSL has announced that the entire week would be observed as Women’s week, with the CSR team set to organize functions in all neighboring villages.
Tata Steel BSL also took the time to thank its women staff by presenting them with gifts and greeting cards from their team-mates and seniors.