Women's Day: Maharashtra girls get to act as Collector for a day

Nagpur: In a novel initiative ahead of the Women's Day, the Buldhana district administration in Maharashtra is giving an opportunity to bright girls of government schools to act as 'collector for a day' with an aim to boost their confidence and motivate them to perform better.

The initiative will also make the girls aware about the functioning of the administration and how it tackles social and other issues, Buldhana Collector Suman Chandra told PTI on Wednesday.

"As part of the initiative, bright and meritorious girls of the Zilla parishad schools are being given an opportunity to be the collector for a day and sit on the chair to have a first-hand experience of governance," Chandra said.

This would also give a chance to the girls to decide what changes they would like to bring in society, if given such an opportunity, she said.

"The idea is to make the girls feel confident and more inspired towards their goal as well as motivate other girls around them to perform better and shatter the glass ceiling," the collector said.

It is basically sowing ideas in their mind, she said, adding that it is an indicative collectorship wherein they will get to experience the day with a new perspective.

"Today, Maria, a Class 9 student from a Zilla Parishad school in Malkapur taluka, has come and joined us. She will attend a census meeting and understand how the census is conducted. She will oversee the training programme of census activities," Chandra said.

It is to provide them exposure towards governance and administration as "seeing is believing", she said.

"They get an exposure for a day and we also make them write a diary wherein they note down their experience and their vision for society.

They will be reading and sharing their experience during a programme on the International Women's Day," she said.

On the first day of this novel drive, Poonam Deshmukh, a bright Class 8 student from Padoli zilla parishad school, acted as collector and oversaw the administrative work.

She interacted with media, participated in the 'Lokshahi Din' (democracy day), took stock of the unseasonal rainfall in the district. "She expressed happiness about her experience and went home as a more confident girl," Chandra said.

The district administration is also celebrating the present seven days as the 'Pink Week', focusing on women's health. "A woman in the pink of her health will keep the society in the pink of health," Chandra said.

All the primary health centres in the district are conducting the drive to ensure good health for women. The district administration has organised screening for anemia, breast cancer, cervical cancer and regular non- communicable diseases.

"All these efforts are being made to focus on the welfare of women and eventually, their empowerment in the long-run," Chandra said.