A two-day State-level conference of women PRI members began hereon Saturday. The State Women Panchayat Representatives Association (SWARA) and the National Alliance of Women (NAWO), Odisha Branch are jointly organising the event.
State Social Welfare Board (SSWB) Chairperson Nibedita Nayak attended the event as the chief guest. She praised Odisha Government’s move to reserve 50 per cent of PRI seats for women. She called upon women to participate in panhayat elections in large numbers. Besides, Nayak emphasised on setting up of an information centre at panchayat and block levels to make villagers, especially women, aware about various Government programmes or schemes meant for women. She also spoke on various problems being faced by women and called for a change in mindset to treat women equally.
Speaking on the occasion, Former Panchayati Raj Director Karunakar Patnaik stressed on decentralisation of power and advocated that every woman should participate in Palli Sabhas and Gram Sabhas. “Women should participate in formulation and implementation of various Government welfare schemes and rural development initiatives. Then only the decentralisation of power can be achieved,” he said.
The speakers also discussed on issues like violence against women and problems of single women. Nearly 200 women PRI members from 22 districts of the State participated in the discussion on the first day.