India can move forward only by raising the levels of respect for women: PM Modi
PM Modi said this year’s union budget will give a new momentum to the government’s efforts of women-led development and mark a beginning of achieving target of “vikasit Bharat” by 2047
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday highlighted the need to raise the levels of respect for women for the country to progress.
Addressing a post-budget webinar on “economic empowerment of women”, PM Modi said, “India can move forward only by raising the levels of the respect of women and the sense of equality. I call upon all of you to move forward with the determination to remove every obstacle coming in the way of all women-sisters-daughters”, he said.
PM Modi said this year’s union budget will give a new momentum to the government’s efforts of women-led development and will mark a beginning of achieving the target of “vikasit Bharat” (developed India) by 2047.
“The budget has been seen and tested from the point of view of future Amrit Kaal. It is a good sign for the country that the citizens of the country are also looking at the next 25 years by linking them with these goals,” he said.
The prime minister said in the last nine years, the country has moved with a vision of women-led development.
“The country has taken these efforts to the global stage as it is figuring prominently in the G-20 meeting presided over by India. This year’s budget will give new momentum to these efforts of women-led development,” he said.
“The country has seen this year’s Budget as an auspicious beginning for achieving the target of Vikasit Bharat by 2047,” he added.
Underlining that Nari Shakti’s strengths of determination, will power, imagination, ability to work for goals and extreme hard work as reflection of ‘Matru Shakti’, the prime minister said these qualities are playing a major role in increasing the speed and scale of India in this century.
Emphasising that the results of the government’s efforts for women empowerment are visible, the prime minister said we are feeling a revolutionary change in the social life of the country.
“The number of women compared to men is increasing, and the number of girls studying up to high school and beyond has tripled in the last 9-10 years. Girls’ enrolment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics is at 43 % today, more than countries like America, UK and Germany. In fields like medical, sports, business or politics, not only the participation of women has grown but they are leading from the front,” he said.
Highlighting that 70% of the Mudra loan beneficiaries are women, PM Modi said, “Similarly, women benefited from schemes for promotion of collateral free loans under SVANidhi and promotion schemes in animal husbandry, fisheries, village industries, FPOs and sports.”
“The reflection of how we can take the country forward with the help of half of the country’s population and how we can increase the potential of women power is visible in this budget,” he said.
Mentioning the Mahila Samman Saving Certificate Scheme where women are to get 7.5 % interest, he said, “ ₹80,000 crore for PM Awas Yojna is also a step in the direction of women empowerment as most of the three crore houses are in the name of women.”
The prime minister emphasised the empowering aspect of PM Awas in a scenario where, traditionally, women had no property in their name.
“PM Awas has given women a new voice in economic decisions of the household”, he said.
Illustrating the strength of the country’s vision for women empowerment with changing scenarios, the prime minister said, “Today 1 out of 5 non-farm businesses is run by a woman. More than 7 crore women have joined Self Help Groups in the last 9 years. Their value creation can be understood by their capital requirement as these self help Groups have taken loans worth ₹6.25 lakh crore.”
PM Modi said that there has been a transformation in the cooperative sector and role of women in the sector.
“More than 2 lakh multi-purpose cooperatives, dairy cooperatives and fisheries cooperatives are to be formed in the coming years. A target has been set to connect one crore farmers with natural farming. Women farmers and producer groups can play a big role in this,” he said.
He reiterated that the country is moving with the spirit of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas”.
“The daughters of the country can be seen in national security roles and flying Rafale aircrafts, and when they become entrepreneurs and take decisions and risks, thinking about them changes”, he said.
He also mentioned the recent election of two women MLAs in Nagaland, Hekani Jakhalu and Salhoutuonuo Kruse, for the first time.
While concluding his address, the prime minister quoted an article of the President Droupadi Murmu, which she wrote on International Women’s Day.
The President wrote, “It is up to us, each of us, to hasten the progress. Thus, today, I wish to urge each of you to commit yourself to one change, in your family, neighbourhood or workplace – any change that would bring a smile on a girl’s face, any change that would improve her chances of moving ahead in life. That is one request, as I said before, straight from the heart.”
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