BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday said that women’s empowerment has been given a new dimension under the BJP government and reiterated the party’s commitment to their welfare and development.
Speaking at a celebration to mark the International Women’s Day organised at the BJP state headquarters here, Majhi said women are no longer confined to traditional roles and now leading in fields ranging from agriculture and education to aviation and space exploration. “Women power is an integral part of the social, political and economic system, and their achievements make us proud,” he said.
The chief minister credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for prioritising women’s empowerment at the national-level. Soon after assuming office in 2014, Modi launched the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative to promote the education and welfare of the girl child, he said.
Majhi said the state government has also taken several steps over the past two years to strengthen women’s empowerment, highlighting the Subhadra Yojana under which financial assistance has been provided to more than one crore women in four instalments. Initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and the state’s Mamata scheme are being implemented together to support mothers and ensure better care from childbirth to education. Programmes aimed at promoting girl child welfare and supporting economically-weaker families have also been introduced, he added.
The chief minister felicitated several women for their achievements in sports, including sprinter Dutee Chand, among others. State BJP Mahila Morcha president Aishwarya Biswal also addressed the gathering.