Excelsior Correspondent
Nagrota, Mar 3: Stressing the need for attitudinal change towards women empowerment, Minister for Social Welfare Sakina Itoo today spelled out the initiatives being taken by the Government for increasing women’s capacity to participate in decision making and leadership.
Addressing National Conference rally at Nagrota, largely attended by women, the Minister said delay or failure in incorporating concerns of women in decision making will prove colossal in the harmonious growth of society.
Ms Sakina exhorted them to come forward and benefit from various schemes tailored for their empowerment and economic emancipation.
“Women empowerment will remain a distant dream unless they are ornamented with education”, she said, acknowledging that much headway has been achieved over the years but much more is still required, especially in rural areas and among weaker sections of the society. She said women literacy has been flagged as a priority area.
Ms Sakina exhorted women belonging to weaker sections to come forward and benefit from various schemes tailored for their empowerment and economic emancipation. She said the Social Welfare Department is assisting women to grow as useful members of the society by supporting various projects aimed at improving their economic conditions. She referred to the schemes like self help groups, saying these have immense potential to generate employment and give fillip to women entrepreneurship.
Speaking on the occasion, Provincial President National Conference Devender Singh Rana exuded confidence that innovative schemes devised by the Government for women empowerment and weaker sections of the society will help improve economic conditions of the people as a whole.
While emphasizing the need for generating massive awareness on women empowerment schemes, Mr Rana observed that poorest in the rural areas generally remain ignorant about these, either because of illiteracy or due to lack of information, aimed at ameliorating their lot. Thus, the very purposes of these schemes get defeated, he said.
“For empowerment of rural women, the departments tasked the responsibility of their welfare, should walk an extra mile and ensure benefits accrue them in a big way”, he said and highlighted the role of Panchayats in becoming catalysts of women empowerment.
He urged the people, particularly the youth, to strengthen the hands of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for heralding peace and giving impetus to developmental schemes and welfare programmes.
Mr Rana described youth as real strength of the party and exhorted them to reach out to the people with exemplary report card of the Chief Minister’s achievements in restoring peace and ensuring development of Jammu and Kashmir during the past four years. He said the achievements are stupendous given the impediments created by obstructive elements in pursuit of their lust for power.
Referring to the problems being faced by the people of Nagrota constituency, Mr Rana assured that these are being looked into at various levels for redressal.
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