Wednesday, March 8 2006 14:44 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today (Mar 08 2006) greeted women on the International Women's Day saying the progress of the country and society lay in their empowerment, strength and dignity.

"Constituting about half of the total population of our country, women have contributed significantly in all walks of life. I am sure, all of you will agree with me, that no society can progress by ignoring their womenfolk," the Speaker said in the House, even as the BJP-led Opposition raised slogans and trooped into the well to protest the blasts in Varanasi yesterday.

He said in women's "empowerment, strength and dignity lies the progress of our society and country."

"On this occasion, let us make a firm resolve to eradicate various social evils effecting women and to strive for protection of rights of women and their emancipation," the Speaker said in the din.