It gives us immense pleasure to be launching the first edition of ‘STREE’ (Smash Tradition, Rehabilitate, Educate & Empower), an exclusive newspaper for women. A project under Heart Foundation, the main aim of ‘STREE’ will not only be to highlight the women achievers but to bring more and more women under its project and help them realize their potential, empower and educate them.
While undoubtedly, over the years, women have successfully ventured into all the fields, which had earlier been predominantly male bastions and are rubbing shoulders with male counterparts in every field of life, however, in many parts of our country, especially in small towns and villages, women continue to be hugely discriminated against men.
Similarly although today, women have stepped out of their houses and are working at strategic places, contributing equally or sometimes even more, they many times have to bear sexual harassment at work place. Not only this, in many sectors especially in unorganized sectors, women are paid very low wages in comparison to their male counterparts. Though the constitution of India provides for “equal pay for equal work for both men and women” and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 has also been enacted, but the wage difference still continues and in the primary sector equality of wages is a far cry.
Through ‘STREE’ we aim to bring that awakening and help in bridging the gap. We would be highly pleased if more and more women join with us in our initiative and become a part of ‘STREE’. As Helen Keller has rightly said: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” After all, “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”
