Close to 500 women employees of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation had great fun participating in games like lemon-and-spoon, housie, musical-chair, needle-and-thread and 50-metre walking competition on International Women’s Day here at Swarna Bharathi Auditorium.

Every person seems to enjoy the day in their own way. A few women at the venue had other plans too. Sailaja, an employee of GVMC, was so excited with the idea of spending some extra time with her friends over lunch.

Geetha of NMCH High School said that she had a great day in the morning at school as her male colleagues offered gifts to women teachers on the occasion. “Last time the management also invited SHGs. This year, only GVMC employees and outsource personnel have come together to rejoice the special day,” said a few of the employees.

Addressing the gathering, Municipal Commissioner M.V. Satyanarayana said: “Earlier women in villages were treated as grama devatha and were treated with due respect. Today, the scenario is different. Women face a lot of problems at workplace. We need to work together to create a conducive atmosphere and respect them for what they are,” he said. Cash prize and saris were given away to the winners of the lucky draw. Additional commissioner of GVMC K. Ramesh said that women have come up a long way compared to 30-40 years earlier. “However, the need of the hour is their safety and security. Men should treat women with dignity and make them feel comfortable at workplace,” he added.