Patna: Five women-only teams participated in the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay car rally - flagged off from Bankipore Club on Sunday - to raise public awareness on women's safety under the theme "stop rape".

The rally was organised by the Buddha Organisation of Women Awareness and Rural Development (Boward), an NGO that works for the rehabilitation and social inclusion of sexual harassment victims in Bihar. The participants raced 300km from Patna-Rajgir-Patna in a single day.

"Women sitting on the driving seats holding the steering project self-confidence. Therefore, we opted this to spread a message that now they are standing up against growing atrocities on them," said Amrita Bhushan, secretary of Boward and coordinator of the event.

She quoted Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan's words: "Because you are women, people will force their thinking on you, their boundaries on you. They will tell you how to dress, how to behave, who you can meet and where you can go. Don't live in the shadows of people's judgment. Make your own choices in the light of your wisdom."

Amrita said Boward, which was started in 2008, provides legal aid and skill development facilities to survivors of acid attacks, rape, and sexual harassment and works for their rehabilitation and social inclusion.

"Through this car rally, our objective is to highlight issues plaguing women, their victimisation and the subsequent social stigma, restrictions on women's freedom and their socio-economic-political subjugation. The message women want to spread is essential - to invite political attention on women's safety," she said.

She said Boward is going to start a car driving training programme for women in which around 100 women expected to learn the skill.

The rally, which started in 2011, was supported by ONGC, Indian Oil and Lions Club Patna.

The top three winners were given cash prizes of Rs 10,000 Rs 7,000 and Rs 5,000.