The Hub Empowerment for Women in Gangtok District hosted a comprehensive awareness session on ‘Nasha Mukht Bharat,’ ‘Skill Development for Women,’ and the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ initiative at the DAC Hall in Gangtok. The event aimed to educate and empower women from across the district through informative discussions led by prominent speakers. Ms. Manikala Gurung, Senior Welfare Officer from the Women & Child Development Department, inaugurated the session with a warm welcome and an overview of the event’s goals. Key speakers included Mr. Tushar Nikhare (IAS), District Collector of Gangtok, Mr. Suman Gurung, Assistant Project Officer from the Skills Department, Mr. Gulsan Lama, Advocate at the High Court, Mr. Sandeep Kumar, Assistant Collector of Gangtok, and Mr. Sisum Wangchuk Bhutia, ADC (Development) Gangtok District.
Mr. Tushar Nikhare highlighted the pivotal role of mothers in society, stressing that women’s education is a powerful tool for fostering awareness and responsibility. He underscored the urgency of addressing drug abuse among youths in Sikkim, calling for collective action from the community and urging an end to stigmatizing rehabilitated individuals. Ms. Manikala Gurung elaborated on the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ (BBBP) initiative, which tackles issues such as the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR), women’s empowerment, and gender inequality. She pointed out that the birth of a girl is still met with disapproval in some parts of the country, often leading to early marriages and limited opportunities for education and employment. The BBBP schemes aim to break these societal chains, ensuring that girls are born, nurtured, and educated without discrimination, thus becoming empowered citizens with equal rights.
Mr. Suman Gurung discussed the importance of skill development for both employed and unemployed women. He outlined various government initiatives, such as training in bakery, pickle making, and tailoring, which provide economic independence and better livelihood opportunities. For educated women, the state offers advanced training in spa therapy and air hostess programs, enhancing their employment prospects. Advocate Gulsan Lama spoke about the ‘Nasha Mukht Bharat’ campaign, launched to combat drug abuse, particularly among youth. He emphasized the critical role of women and children in this campaign and detailed the Anti-Drug Act’s severe penalties for drug possession, highlighting the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards drug-related offenses among government employees and students.
