Australian envoy inaugurates Kabaddi tournament on Women's Day

Australian High Commissioner to India Patrick Suckling inaugurated a women's kabaddi tournament at Sampurnanand Sports Stadium here today on the occasion International Women's Day.
Suckling appreciated the initiative to empower women through sporting events and said his country would support such programmes.
Tomorrow, Suckling will launch an innovative Australian government-funded project -- 'Stitch Your Future' -- to help women gain financial independence.
The 'Stitch Your Future' programme is part of Satyagyan Foundation's initiative to establish 11 sewing centres and equipping more than 300 women in the field with tailoring skills. It is one of the projects the Australian High Commission is supporting as part of its initiatives on International Women's Day.

The programme will be part funded by the Australian High Commission's Direct Aid Program and USHA International, with Satyagyan Foundation and Grameen Vikas Sansthan as implementing partners.
Speaking at the kabaddi tournament inauguration, Satyagyan Foundation Chairman Rahul Singh said, "For a long time, Indian women have been doing things that challenge set perceptions around them not being equal to men in certain fields. But that disparity still exists in the rural areas in India."
"The demonstration of physical strength by rural women in the kabaddi tournament expresses how the society has changed. We will continue to create more such platforms to celebrate Indian women and their strengths," Singh said.

Meanwhile, NGO Khushali organised an event to mark International Women's Day at Assi Ghat. At the programme, noted psychiatrist and Khushali founder Sanjay Gupta said, "To contain the rising crime against women, we have to change our mindset.