PUDUCHERRY: The existing policies and programmes for women will be reviewed to ensure that there is a holistic empowerment of women cutting across all sectors, said Lieutenant Governor Ajay Kumar Singh.
Speaking at a function for distribution of Financial assistance for welfare of women at Kamban Kalai Arangam and inaugurating 12 Anganwadi cum crèche centres on Monday, he said that in a bid to strengthen overall development of women in the Union territory, the government will explore avenues and facilitate the educated women folk to develop entrepreneurial activities. ‘It is through entrepreneurial spirit that women can become self sustaining and make significant contributions towards economic empowerment of their families and to the nation’s economic development as well”, he said.
With emphasis on skill development, importance would be given to train the women folk in honing their skills that would provide them with feasibility to empower themselves.
The government has thereby placed great emphasis on improving the gender equality. Next only to Kerala, Puducherry has the most favourable sex ratio in the country.
Already the government has thrown open the vistas of Educational opportunities for women education. The high enrolment ratio in Puducherry is heartening. Women hailing from rural Puducherry in spite of poor socio economic have embraced education as a key for economic empowerment. The female literacy ratio of 80.7 percent in Puducherry is an indicator of this. The socio economic indicators of the Puducherry reveals that the women in Puducherry enjoy, if not co-equal status, but near equal status with that of their counterparts.
Earlier speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister N Rangasamy said that government is taking steps to enhance the Old age pension (OAP) from the present Rs 1100 per month.
Under various schemes financial assistance to the tune of Rs 6.27 crore have been distributed to a total of 6158 beneficiaries. Under the “ Karmaveerar Kamaraj Scheme “ the Lt Governor also initiated the distribution of 31,448 bicycles to the students of IX th standard in government and government aided schools in the Union territory.