Though the women’s movement and fight for equality has come a long way, it has miles to go. While it cannot be ignored that millions of women around the world are denied basic rights and opportunities each day, it is to also be acknowledged that circumstances have progressed immensely. Taking forth the vision of Prof Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS to empower 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 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 the 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 mesmerizing performance by a young guitarist. This was followed by the panel discussion where the panellists shared their views on the 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.
KiiT International School is focused on providing holistic education for their students. They aim to groom their students in a way where they can enter the world and take on tough challenges in their life. The institute is constantly setting new standards with its innovative pedagogy, attention to education for all and exposing their students towards various aspects so that they create a difference not only in their lives but also in the society and contribute towards the progress of the country.
About KiiT International School: The KIIT family of educational institutions exemplify centres of holistic education in a complete, stimulating, nurturing environment that helps each young mind learn and grow. With its motto of ‘Selfless service and endless learning’, KiiT International School is a proud member of this educational conglomerate. It strives to take care that each individual under its aegis shall go on to become an international citizen: not in tongue or mannerisms but spirit, to become people of good character and humanity. They endorse & execute inclusive education and have a collaboration with Autism Society West Bengal. They have a set of trained teachers who are on guard round the clock for these students. Specially enabled students are given equal opportunities as the rest of the students. They have also adopted a village, Shyamsunderpur, which is 20kms away from our school. Within a span of 8 years, KiiT International School has taken rapid steps to grow slowly to become one of the most reputed and simply put the best school in Odisha.