lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Friday stated that the "real empowerment" of women comes with education and appreciated "improvement in the literacy rate" in India for both girls and boys.
Delivering a keynote address in the ninth annual two-day meet of women Speakers of Parliament that concluded in Geneva (Switzerland) on Friday, She, however, lamented that women in India were facing "formidable challenges in almost all spheres of life."
Mahajan addressed the meet on the theme, 'Building a Conducive Environment for Women's Economic Empowerment.' She felt that as women Speakers of Parliament, it was their duty to ensure that the laws enacted by Parliament are women-friendly and that Parliament served as a model institution for creating a positive environment for women's economic empowerment.
She said that the worth of any civilization can be judged from the position it gives to women. Mahajan also referred to various steps being taken by Parliament and the Government in India towards empowering women and furthering their active participation and achievements in the political processes.