New Delhi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has expressed concern over low female participation in the formal labour force in India and called for addressing this problem on a war footing by all the stakeholders. He also emphasized the need to ensure wage parity for women across all industries.
Addressing the Diamond Jubilee celebration of Maris Stella College, in Vijayawada on Friday, the Vice President said that increasing the participation of women in the formal labour force is essential to significantly increase their contribution to the GDP as also for inclusive growth.
Stating that no nation can progress without the educational empowerment of women, he wanted educational institutions to introduce skill-based courses for increasing the employability of women. He also asked educational institutions to form linkages with the industries and tailor the courses in accordance with their requirements.
Calling for zero tolerance towards gender discrimination, Shri Naidu stressed the need to bring about a change in the mindset of the people. “This transformation should begin at home where boys and girls are treated equally,” he asserted.
Highlighting the importance of women empowerment in a developing country like India, Shri Naidu said that this is necessary to change established gender narratives and ensure upward mobility of women in various fields. Calling for concerted efforts in this direction, he said that it is about time that every barrier that hinders the progress of women is dismantled.
Recognizing the progress made in girls’ education since Independence, the Vice President said that every empowered girl in turn, empowers other women and this must grow into an ever-widening circle of strength and support. Mentioning that ‘care and share’ is at the core of Indian philosophy, he said “It is extremely important to inculcate the values of empathy and sensitivity among students.”
Noting that the National Education Policy-2020 has set the goal to achieve 100 per cent enrolment of girls in schools by 2035 and 50 per cent in higher education institutions, Shri Naidu called for effective implementation of NEP to ensure equitable education and transform the educational landscape in the country.
Reiterating that education is not only for employment, but for enlightenment and empowerment, the Vice President stressed the importance of character building and integrity through value-based education. “Education must produce responsible and socially conscientious citizens with a nationalist outlook,” he said.
Asking the young women to believe in their innate creativity and capacity to face challenges and their ability to catalyze change, Shri Naidu told them “you are destined to become leaders of change.” The Vice President praised the management of Maris Stella College for rendering yeoman service by empowering women through quality education and maintaining consistently high academic standards. /BI/
