The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the G20 Ministerial Conference on Women Empowerment held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat via video message today.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister welcomed the dignitaries to Gandhinagar, a city named after Mahatma Gandhi on its formation day and expressed delight that they are getting the opportunity to visit Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad. Underlining the need to find urgent and sustainable solutions for issues like climate change and global warming, the Prime Minister said that one can witness first-hand the simplicity of Gandhiji’s lifestyle and his visionary ideas of sustainability, self-reliance and equality at Gandhi Ashram.
Modi expressed confidence that the dignitaries will find it inspirational. He also mentioned visiting the Dandi Kuteer Museum and informed that Gandhiji’s famous spinning wheel or Charkha was found by a woman named Gangaben at a village nearby. Since then, the Prime Minister said that Gandhiji started wearing Khadi which became a symbol of self-reliance and sustainability.
“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 further added that their leadership fosters inclusivity and their voices inspire positive change. The Prime Minister 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.
The Prime Minister emphasized that India’s President Smt Droupadi Murmu is setting an inspiring example herself. He underlined that she leads the world’s largest democracy and serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the world’s second-largest defence force even though she comes from a humble tribal background. In this Mother of Democracy, the Prime Minister said, the ‘Right to Vote’ was granted equally to all citizens including women by the Indian Constitution right from the beginning and the right to contest elections was also granted based on equality. The Prime Minister noted that elected women representatives have been key agents of economic, environmental and social change and informed that 46% of elected representatives in rural local bodies in India are women numbering 1.4 million.
Underlining that the mobilization of women into self-help groups has also been a powerful force for change, the Prime Minister highlighted the self-help groups and elected women representatives emerging as pillars of support for our communities during the pandemic. The Prime Minister gave examples of their achievements and mentioned the manufacturing of masks and sanitisers, and creating awareness about prevention of infection. “More than 80% of nurses and midwives in India are women. They were our first line of defence during the pandemic. And, we are proud of their achievements”, he added.
