Bhubaneswar, March 5: To raise their voice for social change, women from diverse backgrounds stepped on the accelerator at a car rally here today. The event was held to spread social messages of women empowerment and education and rights of the girl child.
About 100 women's teams took part in the rally that started from the KIIT campus and concluded at Janata Maidan.
All the cars were decorated on the theme "Be Bold For Change" and the participants were also dressed to the mood of the day.
The streets of Bhubaneswar donned a colourful look as decorated cars set-off on their quest to fame. The rally started from the KIIT Stadium and reached Rupali Square after passing through Nalco Square, Acharya Vihar and Vani Vihar.
From there the rally travelled through Ram Mandir Square, Housing Board Square, Patel Marg, Kalinga Stadium and Jayadev Vihar to culminate at Janata Maidan.
A cultural programme was organised at the end of the rally. The participants used the occasion to spread messages about women empowerment and child education and rights of girls.
Rohini Singh Deo, who grabbed the winner's trophy for the best theme along with her three friends, had chosen "period shaming" as their theme.
"We want to encourage people to break the taboo about menstruation. We had a lot of fun and this gave us a chance to meet women from other fields," Rohini said.
Speaking on the occasion, commissioner of police Y.B. Khurania said: "Women are good drivers, sometimes better than their counterparts and the event proved their mettle on wheels."
Another group, led by Namita Nanda, tried to showcase women power in the field of business. "Men always take pride in sports and cars. But, women are breaking the trend and proving their mettle in these male-dominated areas too," Namita said.
Odia actress Barsha Priyadarshini, who was present on the occasion, said: "Women should not compare themselves with men as both are strong in their specific areas. I feel we are not here to prove anything to men but to ourselves."
Barsha further said: "The rally was an opportunity for us to come together and discuss ways to help each other."
Revati Pany and her team won the rally in the costume category while Amita Singh along with her girls' gang lifted the trophy for the best presentation. The organisers of the rally - Carnival and Seva Prayas Foundation - said that they would organise the rally every year.
