Women must be at the centre of future-ready society’s decision-making, according to Smriti Irani.
Saturday, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani advocated for a strengthening of women’s participation at the panchayat level and highlighted the successes of women’s self-help groups.
Her ministry organised the G20 “Empower Inception” meeting in Agra where she spoke.
“If you want to get your future right, if you want to be prepared for the future, make sure that women are at the centre of your dialogue and your decisions,” Irani said in her keynote address.
Irani added that the Indian government had taken steps to make banking and financial services accessible to all women. She also mentioned the pursuit of gender equality in India via a gender inclusion fund in the National Education Policy, the construction of bathrooms in every home, and the implementation of a protocol for menstrual hygiene.
Women’s entrepreneurship, collaboration for developing women’s leadership at all levels, including the grassroots, and education as the key to women’s empowerment and equal workforce participation would be three areas of emphasis during India’s G20 Presidency.
G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant stated in his statement that for India to enhance its growth rate further, it would be necessary to increase women’s per capita income and place them in leadership roles.
The “Empower Inception” meeting of the G20 will conclude on February 12. It seeks to create a plan for fostering equality and women-led development.
