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Bingbong (Kalimpong), March 8: Women of Sangse gram panchayat, 12 km from Kalimpong, today kept alive their decade-long practice of celebrating International Women’s Day.

Women from all the eight villages in the panchayat area together organised the programme with a gusto that was missing in Kalimpong.

“I am not educated and had never heard of the day until the Missionary of Nazareth Sisters started celebrating it around 12 years ago. Through this celebration we want to make women aware of the fact that they are equal to our male counterparts,” said 51-year-old Clara Lepcha, the president of Sangse Mahila Swayam Seva Samiti, which has 18 women self help groups and a co-operative as its members.

The programme, which was held on the premises of St Michael’s Church here, was not merely restricted to speeches on women’s empowerment. Games and cultural programmes too found a place on the schedule. For a change, the men did the cooking at the programme.

“There has been a significant rise in the number of participants and this is in itself a good sign,” said Lepcha.