Rotary Club of Calcutta Mahanagar celebrates ‘Spirit of Nava Shakti’

KOLKATA: Rotary Club of Calcutta Mahanagar celebrated the ‘Spirit of Nava Shakti,’ an event dedicated to empowering girls and championing women’s causes, on Sunday, at a city hotel.

The event was marked by a panel discussion on ‘Nava Shakti - Empowering Girls,’ featuring speakers such as Gautam Mohan Chakrabarti IPS, ex-commissioner of police, Kolkata, filmmaker Sudeshna Roy, Anuradha Kapoor, founder and managing trustee of Swayam and actor trainer Daminee Benny Basu. The panel addressed critical issues related to gender equality, empowerment and safety of young girls in today’s society.

In addition to the panel discussion, the Shakti Samman awards were presented to nine women, who have excelled in their respective fields and have been champions of empowering girls. The event also marked the launch of several initiatives under the Nava Uday programme. These initiatives include programmes focused on nutrition, cervical cancer awareness, self-defense training for women and menstrual hygiene management, aimed at benefiting thousands of girls across West Bengal. These initiatives reflect Rotary’s commitment to improving the overall well-being and safety of girls, especially in underprivileged communities.

Pramila Duggar, president of Rotary Club of Calcutta Mahanagar, said: “Through the ‘Spirit of Nava Shakti’ event and the launch of these programmes, we aim to create real, lasting change in the lives of young girls.”