Political leaders including AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa and DMK President M Karunanidhi today extended their greetings for International Women's Day tomorrow.
Jayalalithaa said the day symbolised achievements of women in the past century and also the challenges that lie before them in the coming times.
Lauding them for their achievements and sacrifices, the AIADMK leader assured her full support to the fairer sex in their endeavours.
"I extend a hearty Women's Day greetings to women from various walks of life," she said in a statement, adding that the world had started to realise that a society will achieve completion and growth only when women were empowered.
Jayalalithaa recalled the various women's welfare schemes she had introduced as Chief Minister, including the cradle baby scheme, women's literacy programme, free gold for thali (mangal sutra), 13-point crime-prevention programme, all-women police stations, providing six-month maternity leave for women government employees among others.
Unlike others, the AIADMK had reserved 33 per cent of its party posts for women, she said.
DMK chief Karunanidhi also took note of the different women's welfare activities taken up by his party at various junctures.
These included reservation for women in government jobs, widow remarriage assistance and introducing 10 per cent women's quota in allocation of industrial plots, he said.
He alleged that "after 2011" (when AIADMK came to power) crimes against women had increased.
PMK chief S Ramadoss and TNCC president E V K S Elangovan also extended their Women's Day greetings.
