BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) observed International Women’s Day 2010 in the UK with a month-long initiative, culminating on the weekend of 10-11 April with an inspirational conference entitled Celebrating Women: Past, Present & Future.

The key objective of the conference, held in the centennial year of the global movement, was to celebrate the achievements of women and inspire them to fulfil their potential in all aspects of life, especially related to their family, career and faith. Specifically, the conference celebrated the achievements of women in the past, drew inspiration from outstanding women in the present, and encouraged them to build an even brighter future for everyone.

An overview of the conference is provided below. Please click on the various links to learn more about each day and the various sessions.

Saturday 10 April 2010
		PAST: Revealing how Hinduism has empowered women Haridarshan, a multi-media musical production
Sunday 11 April 2010
		PRESENT: Learning from outstanding women achievers Real-life scenarios Keynote Address by Sarah Brown Seminars led by experts Demonstration and workshops Presentations by distinguished panellists
		FUTURE: Building an aspiring vision for women Panel Discussion

Additionally, for information about the Conference’s announcement and to see some behind-the-scene photos of the preparations, please follow the respective links. Feedback for the conference from invited guests and delegates can be found here.

About International Women’s Day

Each year on 8 March, individuals and organisations across the world gather to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) in honour of the significant achievements that women have made throughout the course of history.

Since its inception at the turn of the 20th century, International Women’s Day has grown into a global movement. This year alone, nearly 1,000 events celebrated International Women’s Day around the world to mark this initiative dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls everywhere.

To learn more about International Women’s Day, please click here.

For the official International Women’s Day website, please click here.

Other IWD events hosted by BAPS

Apart from the month-long initiative around the UK and parts of Europe, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha celebrated International Women’s Day with over 200 events across India and elsewhere, including ten Women’s Conferences in North America.

Leading up to the two-day conference in London, other IWD events hosted by BAPS around the UK included celebrations at:

• Ashton-Under-Lyne – 21 March 2010
• Birmingham – 4 April 2010
• Bolton – 21 March 2010
• Coventry – 24 April 2010
• Leeds – 21 March 2010
• Loughborough – 12 March 2010
• Nottingham – 28 March 2010
• Preston – 28 March 2010
• Wellingborough – 12 March 2010

In Europe, IWD events were held at:

• Antwerp, Belgium – 14 March 2010
• Dublin, Republic of Ireland – 10 April 2010
• Lisbon, Portugal – 27 March 2010
• Milan, Italy – 28 March 2010
• Vienna, Austria – 27 March 2010

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