Women’s day celebration highlights rights and empowerment at Avinashilingam Institute

The Women’s Studies Centre of Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women organised the International Women’s Day Celebration 2026 on March 6 at the Hi-Tech Seminar Hall of the institution under the theme “Rights, Justice and Action for All Women and Girls.”
Delivering the presidential address, Vice Chancellor V. Bharathi Harishankar emphasised the need for actionable frameworks to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.
She urged women to be aware of their rights, strive for justice and exercise their rights with responsibility, fairness and accountability.
She also stressed that awareness of women’s rights should extend to men so that they can support women’s empowerment while promoting mutual respect and accountability in society. Registrar (in-charge) H. Indu appreciated the multiple roles effectively played by women in society. Referring to ancient scriptures, she highlighted the complementary role of men in supporting women and enabling them to explore wider opportunities in society and nation building.
She said true empowerment lies not only in respecting women but also in creating meaningful opportunities for them.
As part of the 14th Annual Women’s Day Award celebrations, six women achievers were honoured for their contributions in various fields.
The awardees included S. Vijayachitra, Senior Professor, Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, Kongu Engineering College, Perundurai; D. Tamilselvi, Professor, Department of Information Technology, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai; S. Sumathi, Professor and Head, Adhiyamaan College of Engineering (Autonomous), Krishnagiri; Ponni M. Concessao, Founder and Principal Architect of Ponni Oscar Rahul Architects, Chennai; and alumni achievers Kalyani Sankar, former President of the Avinashilingam Institute Alumni Association, and CA. Saraswathi Rajarathnam, former Treasurer of the association. The awardees expressed gratitude for the recognition and shared their experiences and success stories with the students.
Earlier, V. Premala Priyadharsini, Director (in-charge), Women’s Studies Centre, delivered the welcome address and S. Amsamani, Dean, School of Home Science, proposed the vote of thanks. The programme concluded with the National Anthem.