Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 10 March 2025
The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) marked International Working Women’s Day on March 8 with a series of programs at Sri Vijaya Puram and Mayabunder, highlighting issues faced by women workers across various sectors.
At Sri Vijaya Puram, a meeting was held at Hotel ACC, drawing a large number of women workers from multiple trade unions affiliated with CITU. Geeta Devi, President of the Andaman & Nicobar Anganwadi Workers & Helpers Union, presided over the program. Several union representatives, including Bindu Kumari from the Education Department Part-time Employees Union, R. Anbukkarsi, General Secretary of A&N Anganwadi Workers & Helpers Union, Jaspreena from A&N PRI Karmachari Sangh, as well as Divya Kumari and Deepa Biswas from the A&N Forest Department Workers Union, addressed the gathering. They raised concerns about the challenges faced by working women and emphasized the need for stronger labour rights and support systems.
Earlier in the event, R. Surendran Pillai, President of the CITU State Committee, provided a brief historical background on the significance of International Women’s Day. Extending his greetings, B. Chandrachooodan, General Secretary of the CITU State Committee, spoke about the ongoing struggles led by CITU against policies perceived as anti-women and anti-working class by the central government.
Meanwhile, in Mayabunder, the CITU Zonal Committee commemorated the occasion by organising a mass procession of women workers. The rally, which passed through the Mayabunder Bazar-APWD Guest House area, was led by Usha Devi and Afsana Begum from the A&N Anganwadi Workers & Helpers Union and Reena Mondolai from ASNVMS. Addressing the participants, C. Murugan, Secretary of the CITU Zonal Committee, underscored the importance of unity and collective action in addressing workplace issues. R. Muralidharan Pillai, President of the Zonal Committee, was also present at the event.
The observance of International Working Women’s Day by CITU in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands served as a platform to highlight pressing labor concerns and reaffirmed the commitment to advocating for the rights of women workers across various sectors.