Gitanjali Salutes Women Achievers At The Gr8! Women Awards - Middle East

Along with commemorating women achievers for excellence in their respective fields, the Gr8! Awards highlighted the atrocities against women and the work carried out by BETI - a unique initiative of Mrs. Anu Ranjan co-publisher of Gr8 that is supported by Gitanjali Group

As women from all walks of life were felicitated in an evening of glitz and glamour at the third annual Gr8! Women Awards – Middle East held at the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, the fight for the cause of the girl child was highlighted with the honoring of BETI, a Non-Government Organization founded by Mrs. Anu Ranjan, Co-Publisher of Gr8 magazine and supported by the Gitanjali Group, one of world’s largest integrated conglomerates, and a strong crusader for women’s rights.

The event was a good platform to highlight the core message of BETI, which is the empowerment of women. The core aim of the BETI movement is to fight against such scourges as female foeticide and protect the rights of equality for the girl child.

The brand ambassador of BETI, Anushka Ranjan, an upcoming model, was felicitated by Gitanjali Group at the Gr8! Women Awards for playing a vital role in spreading awareness on the issues that plague women. Presenting her the momento in the form of the BETI Award was Mr. Ajay Pandey, CEO of International Brands Business of Gitanjali Group. The BETI Award symbolizes a woman’s strength and standing in the society, giving voice to her spirit.

On receiving the Award, Anushka Ranjan spoke eloquently at the ceremony about this crusade against crimes on women and the activities carried out under the BETI movement.

The NGO is also supported by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The ethos behind the movement is to put a stop to the cruelties that plague women and provide them an equal right to live in a safe and sound environment.

Commenting on the Award, Mr. Pandey said: “As a socially concerned corporate organisation, Gitanjali has taken up several initiatives towards the upliftment of socially underprivileged sections. We are happy to extend our support and involvement to the cause of women who have been discriminated against and give them the true rights of equality and respect in the society.”

“Through BETI, Gitanjali offers its support the cause of the girl child with the aim to create awareness against female foeticide among many other cruelties and issues that women are faced with. This movement is a natural extension of Gitanjali’s core values, which is to adorn women with self-belief, confidence and the right to choose.”
The Gr8! Women Awards was powered by Gitanjali Group along with key sponsors Petrochem. The event was attended by the who’s who of the Dubai upper-crust. The evening was punctuated with stunning performances by leading Bollywood stars including the beautiful Urmila Matondkar, the inimitable Gauhar Khan and the enthralling TV heartthrobs, Aamir Ali and Sanjeeda Sheikh.

Gitanjali Group is actively involved in social causes through BETI. Some of the major initiatives of BETI include the recently held Pinkathon in Mumbai, India which brought over 2000 women from different walks of life together in a 10K marathon. The marathon aimed at creating wide-spread awareness about breast cancer and raising critical funds for women afflicted with the disease. It welcomed participation from famed personalities, including Bollywood star Karishma Kapoor, Minister for Women and Children’s Welfare Varsha Gaikwad, MTV host Anusha Dandekar, actor Tara Sharma and model and actor Lisa Haydon, to name a few.

Gitanjali Group’s initiative through BETI has also involved raising funds for the reconstructive surgery of Sonali Mukherjee, a young acid-attack victim in Jharkhand, India. Gitanjali Group along with Gr8! Magazine helped raise funds for the treatment of the brave survivor. As part of its efforts to raise funds for this initiative, the Group organized the India International Jewellery Week (IIJW) in August 2012 where a plethora of celebrities and TV personalities were seen walking the ramp for the cause. The event helped garner Rs 30 Lakh through various contributions of donators including Gitanjali Group, actor Juhi Chawla, producer Ramesh Taurani, actor-filmmaker Shashi Ranjan for the life-changing reconstructive surgery of the acid-attack victim.

Gitanjali Group’s initiatives for BETI have received widespread awareness and recognition across India. The Group was recently felicitated for its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives at the Global Sounds of Peace live concert held in Mumbai, India. BETI continues to identify women in need of assistance and undertake initiatives across cities to raise funds for such causes.

Emirate:  Dubai

Date: Feb 11, 2013

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