By Joyce Dmello for BIS Mumbai

On March 8, we, the parishioners of St. John Bosco, joined the nation in celebrating International Women’s Day through a special program organized by the Women’s Cell of St. John Bosco Church, Borivali.

Prior to the program, the parishioners participated in the Holy Mass, solemnly celebrated by Fr Aloysius Furtado and concelebrated by Fr Manuel Murzello. The priests extended prayers and blessings, warmly wishing all women “Happy Women’s Day.”

 The program began with a brief introduction about the functioning of Women Cell by Ms Melissa D’cunha followed by a welcome song-cum-traditional dance conducted by the Sisters of St Anne and their team. The program progressed with a short talk by Fr Manuel. In his message, he highlighted the incredible contribution made by women within the church and society. Besides, he recognized their role by linking it to the scriptures from the Bible. He further added that in today’s times, most of the church functions are managed by women, be it the Parish Pastoral Council, Sunday School, Eucharistic Ministry, Zonal Leaders role, thus building strong empowerment and resilience within themselves.

Ms Melissa, host for the event, then introduced the two guest speakers who were invited to the dais, viz. Mr Alwyn Furtado, Ex-Sr. Audit Officer, Controller and Audit General and Ms Nithya Joseph, Program Coordinator and Counsellor.

Mr Furtado spoke on the role of women in the management of financial resources in one’s daily life. Besides, he also spoke on cybercrime and its increased cases in today’s world, its threats that could ruin one’s lifetime savings/reputation in minutes, and the means and methods to avoid such a situation and stay safe.

Ms Joseph then spoke on the topic of "self-awareness." She emphasized that self-awareness calls for women to look at themselves first, align one’s actions with their own values, and join it as a tool for personal development. She then shared a clipping from a short film titled “Juice”, where at the beginning, men were found relaxing in an air-conditioned room, and the woman was sweating in the kitchen due to various demands from her husband. But towards the end of the film, the woman, out of frustration, quietly rebels in a non-violent manner by sipping a glass of juice in another air-conditioned room and claiming her space. This non-verbal act depicts the need for women to wake up whenever they smell disregard, lack of appreciation, and are affronted in their own homes.

Both speakers shared vital information, which is quite relevant in present times.

This was not all. The Women’s Cell also organized interesting games, which made the event more lively and fun-filled. The program concluded with a vote of thanks, grace before meals and sumptuous food bringing a smile and happiness to everyone’s face.

Special thanks to our Women’s Cell team for hosting such a wonderful gathering. All this wouldn’t have been possible and impactful without the help of Fr Vishal Lopes, whose presence, appreciation, and encouragement made the program so vibrant and made every woman feel welcomed and valued.