The Social Awareness and Gender Equality for Women (SAGE-W) cell at SiliconTech, the engineering institute of Silicon University, organized the International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrations on 9 March 2026, featuring a seminar and panel discussion to promote women empowerment.
The main objectives of the event were to celebrate IWD by fostering conversations on women’s empowerment, raise awareness about systemic challenges affecting women, and encourage inclusive thinking and actionable change in academic and professional environments. The event also aimed to recognize and celebrate achievements in various domains, including academics, fitness, cultural activities, and competitions such as rangoli, extempore, and UKTI 2.0.
The event brought together students, faculty, and alumni to engage in meaningful dialogue about challenges and opportunities for women in academic and professional spaces. The program began with a warm welcome address, followed by the keynote address by Ms. Nilanjana Mukherji, Managing Director of Padmini Care Hospital, who highlighted the importance of moving from appreciation to access and emphasized recovery as a key element in personal and professional growth.
The seminar included a panel discussion moderated by Ms. Anoushka Parija, an alumna of Miranda House, Delhi University with panelists Dr. Sohini Mahapatra, Assistant Professor of Law, National Law University Odisha, and Ms. Ipsita Pahi, Assistant Professor, Silicon University and Ms. Nilanjana Mukherji. The discussion covered topics such as the Pink Tax, Design Tax, work-life balance challenges, and societal conditioning. The event concluded with felicitation of winners in various competitions.
A total of 200 participants attended the event, actively engaging in both the discussions and the competitions. The winners were felicitated for their outstanding performances. In the rangoli competition, Sruti Pradhan and Asmit Nayak from 1st year ECE secured first place, followed by Niyati Nath and Ipsita Swain from 3rd year EEE in second place, and Sneha Ghosh 1st year ECE and Anushka Das 1st year CSE in third place. In the fitness circuit, Juhi Mahato from 1st year IMCA won first place, while Padmaja Priyadarshini from 1st year EEE secured second place. In the UKTI 2.0 competition, Aditya Ratha from 2nd year ECE secured first place, while Anshuman Pani from 1st year CSE and Satasha Samanwita Pradhan from 2nd year ECE shared second place.
The event successfully celebrated women’s achievements, brought attention to systemic challenges, and inspired participants to actively promote equality, inclusivity, and empowerment within their communities.
