Berhampur: “Men and women are two sides of the same coin. The world moves forward when both walk together. Today, women are proving their skills and capabilities as much as men. Education and employment will make mothers stronger and more empowered,” said Berhampur Municipal Corporation Mayor Sanghamitra Dalei while addressing the Odisha-50 Rural Women Entrepreneurs’ Meet organised by Sambad's Berhampur edition.

Speaking as the Chief Guest at the event held at Kabisurjya Rangamancha of Ganjam Kala Parishad, Mayor Dalei emphasized that success comes only after struggle. She stressed the importance of wisely investing the money earned through hard work and praised Sambad’s Odisha-50 initiative, stating that the programme would greatly benefit aspiring women entrepreneurs.

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Women are no longer dependent

Eastern Media Limited Chairman Soumya Ranjan Patnaik highlighted that girls today are excelling in every sector just like boys. “Girls are no longer weak or dependent. With education and employment, no one can stop them from achieving success,” he stated, urging mothers to make themselves educated and economically independent.

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Odisha-50 initiative aims to build self-reliant women

Earlier, Dr. Monica Nayyar Patnaik, Director of Eastern Media Limited, briefed the audience about the objective of the Odisha-50 initiative. She shared that the programme has been running since 2020 with the aim of helping women become self-reliant. Many women entrepreneurs worry about securing loans and marketing their products; the initiative aims to eliminate those concerns and provide proper guidance, she added.

During the second session, a panel discussion was held with Ganjam Collector Keerthi Vasan V and Berhampur Municipal Corporation Commissioner Prathamesh Arvind Rajeshirke as guests.

The event was coordinated by Sushil Kumar Pradhan, Branch Manager of Sambad Berhampur, while Pramod Pattnaik, Coordinator of the Corporation Edition, handled overall planning.