General Assembly General Assembly

Statement by Ms. Preeti Sudan, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Women & Child Development, during the General Discussion 58th Session of the Commission on Status of Women on March 17, 2014

 

Mr. Chairman,

We look forward to working with you and the Bureau for a successful CSW Session. 

 

Mr. Chairman,

This year’s priority theme is timely in the backdrop of the present discussions on formulation of the post-2015 Development Agenda.

 

This process must consolidate and build upon the foundations laid by the MDGs both in its operational framework and contents. This objective can only be realised through robust and gender-sensitive economic growth.

 

The post-2015 Development Agenda must, therefore, create conditions for rapid, sustained and inclusive growth. Eradication of poverty must remain its overarching and central objective. Empowerment of women will, therefore, be essential in this endeavor.

 

Mr. Chairman,

Ensuring gender equality, promoting women’s empowerment and combating discrimination and violence against women are integral to our national pursuit of forging inclusive society and development. 

 

We have adopted both enabling legislative and policy framework for advancement of women and undertaken awareness generation and sensitization programmes to fight social prejudices and stereotypes.

 

 

Mr. Chairman,

We have made impressive gains in meeting many MDG targets. Let me refer here to a few achievements and initiatives.

 

The annual Union Budget contains a Gender Budget Statement. A parliamentary committee on women’s empowerment oversees that enacted legislations are gender sensitive. Gender is a recurrent theme in all development plans.

 

Today, 1.5 million elected women representatives in local bodies are taking decisions on education, health, community development, local infrastructure, etc., bridging the gender-divide in decision making and at socio-economic level.

In education, our current focus is on improving quality, expansion of secondary and tertiary education, improving equity and improving accessibility for girls and women, and skills development for improved employability.

The national health interventions with focus on neo-natal and post-natal care, universal immunization, nutrition, etc., have led to increased life expectancy and substantial decline in infant and maternal mortality rates.

 

Mr. Chairman,

To strengthen rural women’s capacities and skills through collective action, Self-Help Groups (SHG) are encouraged. There are around 6 million SHGs covering 100 million members.  Government support for economic empowerment includes easy access to credit at preferential rates, innovative financial products designed for specific needs of SHGs and rural women, etc.

 

An all-Women’s Bank has been set up for women entrepreneurs with US$ 200 million as initial capital; 25 branches will be opened by 31 March.

 

Fifty percent work is reserved for women, with equal pay as men, in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. Preference is given to women in the household for registration under the affordable housing scheme for the poor, and for the national food security programme.

 

Mr. Chairman,

We are firmly and squarely addressing the problem of violence against women. The amendments to the criminal law last year significantly broaden the definition of sexual assault and harassment, and aim for greater accountability of public officials. The Sexual Harassment at Work Place Act aims to provide a safe environment for women to work. These measures supplement the existing framework to deal with the crimes of trafficking, domestic violence and sexual offences against children.

 

Mr. Chairman,

Technology and innovation, if used imaginatively by policy makers, can play a major role in realizing our development objectives. ICT technologies are widely recognized as enablers and multipliers.  But we need to also look beyond ICT.

 

Several innovative projects in India like electrification of remote villages through rural women trained as solar engineers; pilot project on spices fortified with micro-nutrients; development of refrigerators not using electricity for preserving children’s vaccines; etc., all hold exciting possibilities for transforming lives.

 

Mr. Chairman,

The multi-dimensional nature of gender equality and women’s empowerment means that we should look at goals on women’s issues as well as integrate the gender perspective in all other goals in the SDGs and post-2015 development framework. 

 

The challenge is to frame concise goals and measurable targets that are easily understood as well as to agree on the means of implementation.

 

In conclusion, let me underline our firm commitment to realizing a transformative change for gender equality, women’s rights and empowerment, globally.

 

I thank you, Mr. Chairman