Mysuru: The International Women’s Day-2018 was celebrated in different part of the city today with the theme “Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives.”

As part of the Women’s Day, the President of the South Western Women’s Railway Association Bandana Gupta inaugurated a sanitary napkin dispensing machine at the City Railway Station ladies washroom, this morning.

Women can put Rs. 5 coin in the vending machine and collect the napkin. There is also an incinerator placed next to the machine to dispose of the used sanitary napkin. The dispenser costs Rs.15,000 while the incinerator costs Rs.10,000.

The others present at the Railway Station were Vice Presidents of the Association Shika Jain and Kavitha Sinha,  Secretary Sachi Rani members Nirmala, Komalatha, and Bubbu Yadava.

MLA M.K. Somashekar inaugurated the event organised by the District Administration, Zilla Panchayat and Women and Child Welfare Department at the Town Hall premises.

Addressing the gathering, he said that women are empowered today and also enjoying a lot more freedom than in the past as they have entered all walks of life, be it in science and technology, flying aircraft and  piloting trains.

However, the government too is initiating a lot of programmes for the safety of the women and action is being taken against those committing atrocities on them, he added.

Mayor  B. Bhagyvathi, former Zilla Panchayat President Pushpa Amarnath, Women and Child Welfare Department Deputy Director K. Radha and others were present. Nearly 500 women from different parts of the district and taluk participated.