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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday emphasized the critical role of women’s leadership in fostering inclusivity and driving positive change as he virtually addressed the G20 Ministerial Conference on Women Empowerment.
In his address, the prime minister extended a warm welcome to the dignitaries attending the conference in Gandhinagar, a city named after Mahatma Gandhi. He expressed delight at the delegates‘ opportunity to visit Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, where they could witness first-hand the visionary ideas of sustainability, self-reliance, and equality advocated by Gandhi.
Urging the need for immediate and sustainable solutions to pressing global issues like climate change and global warming, PM Modi also highlighted the simplicity of Gandhiji’s lifestyle, which serves as an inspiration for the world to embrace sustainable practices.
“When women prosper, the world prospers”, the prime minister remarked as he noted that their economic empowerment fuels growth and their access to education drives global progress. He added that their leadership fosters inclusivity and their voices inspire positive change. PM Modi underlined that the most effective way to empower women is through a women-led development approach and India is making huge strides in this direction.
PM Modi took the opportunity to praise the exemplary leadership of President Droupadi Murmu, who hails from a humble tribal background and yet leads the world’s largest democracy while serving as the Commander-in-Chief of the second-largest defense force globally. He also acknowledged India’s early commitment to women’s rights, with equal voting and election rights bestowed upon women since the inception of the Indian Constitution.
The prime minister commended the remarkable contributions of women across various domains. He informed the gathering that 46% of elected representatives in rural local bodies in India are women, amounting to an impressive 1.4 million. Women have been instrumental in driving economic, environmental, and social change, especially during the pandemic. PM Modi proudly acknowledged their pivotal role in the manufacturing of masks, sanitizers, and in raising awareness about infection prevention.
The prime minister underscored the government’s unwavering commitment to women’s empowerment by highlighting that 70% of loans under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, aimed at supporting micro-level units, have been sanctioned to women. Additionally, 80% of beneficiaries under Stand-Up India, which facilitates bank loans for green field projects, are women. He also highlighted the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which has provided nearly 100 million cooking gas connections to rural women, improving their health and the environment.
PM Modi stressed the increasing participation of women in technical education and STEM fields, and their invaluable contributions to space missions like Chandrayaan, Gaganyaan, and Mission Mars, which are critical to India’s space achievements. He proudly noted that more women in India are now enrolling in higher education than men, and the country boasts one of the highest percentages of female pilots in civil aviation, with women also flying fighter aircraft in the Indian Air Force.
Modi acknowledged the crucial roles of women as the backbone of rural agricultural families, small traders, and shopkeepers. He highlighted their potential to offer innovative solutions to climate change and recalled the historic Chipko Movement, where women from the Bishnoi community in Rajasthan led one of India’s first prominent climate actions.
Concluding the address, the prime minister lauded the conference’s focus on women’s entrepreneurship, leadership, and education. He expressed confidence that the unyielding efforts in Gandhinagar would instill hope and confidence in women worldwide. Additionally, he commended the launch of the ‘Tech-Equity Platform,’ aimed at enhancing digital and financial literacy for women and announced the establishment of a new Working Group on ‘Women Empowerment’ under India’s G20 Presidency.
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Updated: 02 Aug 2023, 01:23 PM IST
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