NEW DELHI: A developed India could be built only on the strength of self-reliant, self-esteemed, independent and empowered women, said President Droupadi Murmu on the occasion of International Women’s Day on Saturday.
“The resolve of a developed India is the resolve of all of us, which we all have to fulfill together. Therefore, men must support women at every step in becoming strong, empowered and self-reliant,” the president said as she inaugurated a national conference on the theme ‘Nari Shakti Se Viksit Bharat.’
“Women should move ahead in their lives with full confidence, dedication, and hard work and contribute to the development of the country and society,” she said at the conference organised by the Women and Child Development Ministry to celebrate the International Women’s Day.
The president noted that as India is moving towards becoming the third largest economy of the world, the participation of women in the workforce of the country should increase rapidly.
She also said a better environment for girls to move forward is necessary for realizing the dream of a developed India.
“They should get an environment where they can make independent decisions about their lives without pressure or fear. We have to create such an ideal society where no daughter or sister is afraid of going or staying alone anywhere,” she said.
“Only the feeling of respect towards women will create a fear-free social environment. The confidence that girls will get in such an environment will take our country to new heights,” she further said.
The president also pointed out that not only in India but also in other countries, one of the reasons for the low participation of women in the workforce is the belief that women will take leave to look after their children or will be able to pay less attention to work.
“But this thinking is not correct. We have to ask ourselves whether society has no responsibility towards children. We all know that the first teacher in the family is the mother. If a mother takes leave to look after children, then this endeavour of hers is also for the betterment of the society. A mother can make her child an ideal citizen through her efforts,” said the president
Citing her own example, the president said, she considers her life journey to be a part of this progress.
She said she was born in a simple family and backward area of Odisha, but her journey to the Rashtrapati Bhavan is the story of equal opportunities and social justice for women in Indian society.
She expressed confidence that the examples of women's success will continue to grow.
Highlighting about the importance of International Women's Day, she said that this day is an occasion to honour women's achievements, raise awareness of their rights, and dedicate ourselves to promoting gender equality.
“We are celebrating the completion of 50 years of International Women's Day. There is no doubt that in this period, the women's community has made unprecedented progress,” she added.
The President said that “whenever we have respected the talent of women, they have never disappointed us. We cannot forget the contribution of eminent personalities like Sarojini Naidu, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Sucheta Kriplani and Hansaben Mehta, who were members of the Constituent Assembly.”
“There are many such examples where women have not only achieved the highest position by earning fame on the strength of their intelligence, wisdom and knowledge but also increased the prestige of the country and society. Be it science, sports, politics or social service – in all fields women have instilled respect for their talent,” she said.
At the occasion, Minister for Women and Child Development, Annpurna Devi, and Minister of State, Savitri Thakur, along with senior officials were present. The event saw participation of women officers from the armed forces, para military forces, Delhi police along with My Bharat volunteers, Anganwadi Workers, ASHA workers, and Self Help Group members etc.
Additionally, women officers from various Ministries/Departments were also invited to participate in the event.