The failure to tap the true economic potential of women was one of the most important factors that hamstrung India’s growth in the early decades after Independence. Seen at best as homemakers, their contribution even in this sphere was never perceived or calculated in economic terms. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, not only realizes economic power of women but he also remains determined to harness it for the all-round growth of the country.
During his virtual address at the 30th National Commission for Women (NCW) Foundation Day programme, which had ‘She The Change Maker’ as its theme, Prime Minister Modi sought to highlight the commitment of his government towards economic empowerment of women members by saying that his ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ campaign was linking the abilities of women with the development of the country.
Pointing out that of the more than 60,000 start-ups that have emerged after 2016, 45 per cent have at least one woman director, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the role that women can play in strengthening small local industries or MSMEs which are the backbone of the industry sector. Underscoring the fact that old thinking had restricted women and their skills to domestic work, PM Modi said it was necessary to change such regressive perspectives in order to take India’s economy forward.
The change, as the Prime Minister noted, was already taking place and was quite visible with about 70 per cent beneficiaries of Mudra Yojana being women. He also lauded the role women self-help groups were playing in the growth of India, which has seen a three-fold increase in the number of WSHGs in the past 6-7 years.
Pointing out that participation of women in the growth cycle of new India was increasing consistently, he called upon the Women’s Commissions to promote and recognize the role of women in entrepreneurship development, he also took note of the fact that since 2015 as many as 185 women have been honoured with Padma Awards.
It is also important to note that in the last seven years, the policies of the country have become more sensitive towards women. For example, India today is among the countries with the provision of maximum maternity leave. The union government is also planning to raise the age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 to ensure that they get proper education and their career growth, too, is not hindered due to early marriage.
Keen to bring women into the mainstream of national growth by ensuring their all-round development, the Modi government is following a policy of zero tolerance for crime against them. As the Prime Minister himself noted: when a government does not prioritize women’s safety, women ensure its departure from power. With PM Modi all but set to play a long innings at the helm of the country, the empowerment of women is bound to remain one of the top priorities of his government.
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