Lucknow: On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Republican Party of India (Athawale) organised the “Nari Shakti Samman Samaroh 2026” at the Gandhi Bhavan Auditorium on Sunday. The dignified event witnessed the participation of hundreds of women from various districts, towns and rural areas of Uttar Pradesh, highlighting the growing strength and unity of women in society.
The ceremony was inaugurated by lighting the ceremonial lamp by the party’s Uttar Pradesh President Pawan Bhai Gupta, who attended as the chief guest. Addressing the gathering, he praised the courage, dedication and social commitment of women. Quoting B. R. Ambedkar, he said that the progress of any society can be measured by the progress of its women and expressed pride in the confidence and achievements displayed by the women present at the event.
During the programme, several women who have shown exceptional dedication in their respective fields and have worked tirelessly for society were honoured with shawls and mementos in recognition of their contributions.
Among those felicitated were Shipra Ghoshal, Principal of Buds and Blossom School with over four decades of service in nurturing underprivileged students; Aarti Agarwal, a businesswoman working to empower women through employment opportunities; Supriya Pandey, an accomplished educationist and award-winning principal known for promoting education among underprivileged children; and Anjali Agarwal, a senior assistant at Sparsh Government Inter College for Visually Impaired Girls in Lucknow with over two decades of experience in the field of disability empowerment.
Other honourees included advocate Nirmala Gautam, who provides free legal advice to economically weaker sections; Namita Sharma, Secretary of Bharat Vikas Parishad; Neelu Vaishya, State Spokesperson of RPI (Athawale); author Kirti Pandey; Suman Jaiswal, State Secretary of the party’s women’s wing; and social workers Geeta Devi and Suman, who have been actively spreading the ideas of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar in their communities and working for social awareness.
Speaking on the occasion, Pawan Bhai Gupta emphasized that today’s women are not confined to the household but are playing a vital role in nation-building. He added that the party remains committed to the dignity, empowerment and advancement of women and called upon all sections of society to support their progress in order to realise Dr. Ambedkar’s vision of an egalitarian society.
The auditorium echoed with applause as women from distant villages shared inspiring stories of resilience and achievement. The programme concluded with the singing of the national anthem and a collective pledge to continue working for social service and women’s empowerment
