"In the years to come, India will have 50% women officers in administration and police service. The cycle of empowerment has turned in favor of women,” noted Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, as per a write-up received from Women Graduates Union (WGU) past presidents Havovi Gandhi and Dinoo Vasunia. He was speaking at a function, held on April 7, 2022, to felicitate past and current office bearers of the 107-year-old WGU in time with the platinum jubilee celebrations of the country’s independence. "He called for giving importance to matrubhasha (mother tongue) and matrubhumi (motherland) along with matrushakti (women empowerment),” noted Gandhi and Vasunia.
Clockwise from above: Havovi Gandhi with governor
Bhagat Singh Koshiyari; Dolat Kotwal; Dr Ayesha Sunavala
Among those felicitated by Koshiyari at Raj Bhavan as "empowered women” and for their "excellent” record of social service were Dr Ayesha Sunavala, infectious diseases consultant at P. D. Hinduja Hospital, Dr Sapna Ramani Sardana from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College, Jabalpur, journalist Tabassum Barnagarwala, along with WGU president advocate Gauri Chhabria, and WGU past presidents and trustees Gandhi, Sheila Shastri, Dolat Kotwal, Kashmira Meher-Homji, Dr Sudha Padhye, Prof Sabita Chuganee and Nandita Singh.
WGU runs a hostel for working women at Colaba, Bombay, and offers scholarships to students in various fields. The Union also runs a computer center, day care crèche and a study center for girl students (see "The quiet catalysts.” Parsiana, April 21, 2015).