PrintFriendly
G20 Conference on Women Empowerment, Gandhinagar
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the G20 Ministerial Conference on Women Empowerment held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat via video message on 2 August.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister welcomed the dignitaries to Gandhinagar highlighted the pivotal roles played by women as the backbone of rural agricultural families and as small traders and shopkeepers. Underlining their close association with nature, the Prime Minister said that women hold the key to innovative solutions to climate change. He recalled how women led the first prominent climate action in India in the 18th century when the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan led by Amrita Devi started the ‘Chipko Movement’ to prevent unregulated logging. The Prime Minister informed that she along with several other villagers laid down her life for the cause of nature. “Women in India have also been brand Ambassadors for ‘Mission LiFE – Lifestyle for Environment’”, the Prime Minister said as he highlighted their traditional wisdom to reduce, reuse, recycle, and re-purpose. Under various initiatives, the Prime Minister added, women are actively getting trained in making solar panels and lights. He mentioned the ‘Solar Mamas’ initiative that has been successful in collaborating with partner countries in the Global South.
“Women entrepreneurs are significant contributors to the global economy”, the Prime Minister said as he emphasized the role of women entrepreneurs in India. Decades ago, he said, in 1959 seven Gujarati women in Mumbai came together to create a historic cooperative movement-Shri Mahila Grih Udyog which has transformed the lives of millions of women and their families. Shri Modi highlighted their most famous product, Lijjat Papad, and said that it will probably be on the food menus in Gujarat! He also gave the example of the dairy sector and informed that there are 3.6 million women involved in this sector in Gujarat alone.
The Prime Minister lauded the focus of the Ministerial Conference on women’s entrepreneurship, leadership and education and expressed delight at the launch of the ‘Tech-Equity Platform’ to enhance digital and financial literacy for women.