Take challenges as opportunities, says eminent scientist �

Hyderabad, Feb 20 (PTI): Equality is still a distant dream for women, and they should take challenges as

opportunities, eminent scientist Tessy Thomas said on Thursday.

Speaking after inaugurating She M Power Womens Conclave and Awards jointly organised by Cyberabad Police

Commissionerate and Society forCyberabadSecurity Council (SCSC) here, the director-general of Aeronautical Systems,

DRDO, Thomas told the women to learn from criticism. "Take criticism into your stride and develop, improve

your performance," she said. Though women constitute 50 per cent of the population,

which is even more in some countries, but, unfortunately they hold just one per cent of the worlds property, a press

release quoted Thomas, known as the Missile Woman of India, as saying.

Noting that women perform far better than their counterparts, she said that yet equality is a distant dream

(for them), and men and women must be equal partners both at work and home.

Unfortunately women have challenges to manage the way an artiste in the circus has to manage a single-wheeled

bicycle, the release said. Women have many qualities unique to them such as

multi-tasking, perseverance, dedication, creativity, passion and emotional intelligence, so they must be encouraged,

it said. Referring to what Swati Lakra, IG (Law and Order)

and in-charge, Women Safety Wing of Telangana police, has said earlier, Thomas observed that punishing offenders, violators

of the law is not the solution. We need to correct them. Ensure change in their

behaviour and mindset, the release quoted Thomas as saying further.

Film actress Sai Pallavi, who delivered a special address, told mothers to teach their boys to treat women on

the street with the same respect that they treat their women family members at home.

Swati Lakra, said: "We as police force do the best that is possible for providing protection to women. We need

support from men too for effective policing. Technology has a greater role to play on womens protection."

Cyberabad Commissioner of Police V C Sajjanar was among those spoke.