Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday advised women to empower technologically to become effective as people’s representatives and develop an independent image of their own since merely changes in the system would not suffice. He, however, remained silent on the Women’s Reservation Bill for which the President and the Vice President had made a strong pitch on Saturday.
Addressing the National Conference of Women legislators here, the Prime Minister insisted that “mere change in system” would not suffice, he said “some changes in structure keep on happening” and stressed the need for women leaders to empower themselves technologically and make effective interventions.
“You will have to make yourself effective. You will have to present issues with facts and figures. Merely changes in the system will not suffice. Some or the other change keep happening in the structure...In order to establish your leadership, you should have the knowledge of subjects.
“...Try to develop your independent image as a public representative. Make an attempt that you have your own image in your region. Once the image of your working style and your views is established among people, it will last for long. You will see people accepting your ideas once you are thus established,” Modi said on the second and concluding day of the conference which was inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee and also attended by Vice-President Hamid Ansari on Saturday.
The Prime Minister said “we must think beyond women’s development” and move towards “women-led development.”
“There is a need to change this mental state about women empowerment. Empowerment is done for those who are not empowered. What does the empowerment of those who are already powerful meanIJ”, the Prime Minister said adding women have much more inherent strength than men.
On the first day of the conference, Mukherjee had pitched for 33 per cent reservation for women in elected bodies saying it was a “sad commentary” that so far the country has not been able to achieve over 12 per cent representation for women in Parliament’s total membership.
Ansari had also asked parties to voluntarily increase the nomination of women candidates in elections till the legislation is enacted.
The Prime Minister, though, on Sunday did not make any mention of the bill but advocated increasing positive assertion from women and called upon women leaders to groom female leadership down the rung, overcoming “jealousy” due to competition.
“..Rather if you allow others to come up, you will go high. A kind of pyramid-like structure comes up then,” the Prime Minister said.
Applauding the ability of women to rise if given an opportunity, he said, “we had had many a Foreign Minister in last so many years but we do not even remember their names. Everybody knows about the outstanding work of Sushma Swaraj.
He also asked whether the two Houses of Parliament could have an e-platform for women members to exchange views.
Modi asked the women MPs whether they have empowered other women public representatives under them.
“Can you do any such exercise in your Parliamentary or Assembly seat what the Speaker has done hereIJ There should be no politics in it. Members of all parties are here. The Committee set up by the Speaker for this programme has members from all parties,” he said.
The conference passed a resolution to work for transparent, accountable and inclusive governance and to contribute to the task of building a Resurgent India, strive for social and financial inclusion with a view to ensuring equal opportunities to all.
The meet with the theme, ‘Role of Women legislators in Nation Building organised by lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan was attended by women MPs and MlAs from across the country.
Former President Pratibha Patil, the first woman President of India, said women in legislature should fight “money and muscle power” in the biggest democracy in the world.
The conference saw a suggestion to organise a similar conference at the Asia level.