SP president, Dimple honour women achievers with awards

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, along with Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav, honoured 26 women for their outstanding contributions across diverse fields at a ‘Mahila Samman Samaroh' held at the party's state headquarters in Lucknow.The event was organised in memory of Akhilesh Yadav's grandmother Murti Devi and mother Malti Devi, and also included honours named after former MP Phoolan Devi, symbolising social justice and women's empowerment.Women achievers from fields including literature, music, sports, healthcare, education, journalism, law, handicrafts, science, social work, and human rights were recognised for their contributions.Among the awardees, cricketer Poonam Yadav was honoured in the sports category, while Nayyar Shakil was recognised for excellence in the medical field. Social activists, educators, journalists, and artists were also felicitated under various award titles named after prominent historical and cultural figures such as Rani Lakshmibai, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Savitribai Phule, and Mahadevi Verma.Special recognitions were also given for environmental work, Dalit discourse, Urdu literature, theatre, and grassroots awareness campaigns.Addressing the gathering, Akhilesh said that empowering women is essential for the progress of society and the nation. He highlighted the Samajwadi Party govt's past initiatives, including the 1090 Women Power Line and Dial 100 emergency response system, which he said significantly improved women's safety.