Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the G20 Ministerial Conference on Women's Empowerment, which took place in Gandhinagar, and emphasized the necessity of establishing level playing fields for female entrepreneurs in the current environment. He said that economic empowerment of women fuels growth and the most effective way to empower women is through a “women-led development approach”.
“Our goal should be to create a level-playing platform where women achievers become the norm. We must work to remove barriers which restrict their access to markets, global value chain and affordable finance,” PM said. He added, “The economic empowerment of women fuels growth. Their access to education drives global progress. Their leadership fosters inclusivity and their voices inspire a positive change.”
To emphasise his point, the PM said “Mahatma Gandhi's famous charkha (spinning wheel) was founded by a woman named Gangaben, who lived at a village nearby. India’s President, Droupadi Murmu, sets an inspiring example herself. She comes from a humble tribal background, but now leads the world’s largest democracy and serves as the commander-in-chief of the world’s second largest defence force,” the PM said while addressing the delegates virtually.
He said that women have had the ability to vote and run for office in India from the very beginning. Nearly 46% of elected officials in rural local bodies in India, were women, the PM told the gathering.
More than 80 per cent of nurses and midwives in India are women, he said, adding the country is proud of their achievements for being the first line of defence during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Women-led development has been a key priority for us in India. Around 70 per cent of loans under the PM Mudra Yojana have been sanctioned to women. These are loans up to Rs 1 million to support micro level units. Similarly, 80 per cent of beneficiaries under the Stand Up India, a government programme, are women,” he said.