Synopsis
Women in India are becoming key architects in the country's journey towards development. According to Minister Annapurna Devi, they are taking on leadership roles across various sectors, including technology and entrepreneurship, which is pivotal for India's aspiration to become a developed nation by 2047.Key Takeaways
- Women are central to India's development trajectory.
- Government initiatives empower women in STEM.
- Investment in digital infrastructure prioritizes women.
- Financial policies enhance women's entrepreneurship.
- Education savings programs benefit millions of girls.
United Nations, March 13 (NationPress) Women in India are stepping up as the key architects of the nation's journey towards becoming a developed nation, assuming pivotal leadership roles in science, technology, and entrepreneurship, as stated by Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi.
The Indian government has acknowledged the limitless potential of Nari Shakti and is advancing towards a women-led development model, crafting a future where women are at the forefront as active architects of India's development trajectory towards a developed nation, she remarked on Wednesday during a ministerial-level roundtable focused on the digital and financial empowerment of women.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the year 2047, marking the centenary of India's independence, as the goal for the country to achieve developed nation status.
“India stands as a notable global leader in promoting women in STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] and has laid a robust foundation for the future female leaders in these fields,” Devi expressed.
India is enhancing women's empowerment by boosting their participation in non-traditional sectors, especially leveraging advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics, she added.
Devi highlighted that the roles of Indian women span from space scientists leading the Mangalyaan mission to drone pilots involved in a program that has equipped 14,500 women’s self-groups with drones for safe pesticide application on farms.
The roundtable was co-sponsored by India’s UN Mission and UN Women, the global organization dedicated to women's empowerment, during the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
On the digital front, India's digital public infrastructure (DPI) is utilized to provide social assistance, disability support, and universal health coverage, particularly emphasizing women's health needs, and to monitor the nutrition, health, and growth requirements of over 100 million women, children, and adolescents, Devi noted.
The unified payment interface (UPI) established in India has revolutionized everyday payment transactions through digitization, transcending gender barriers, she added.
“Women are increasingly taking charge of the digital payment interface,” she stated.
Sima Bahous, the executive director of UN Women, remarked, “India's leadership in creating the India Stack [a collection of open program interfaces] and UPI demonstrates what can be accomplished when inclusion is at the heart of innovation.”
“Governments must prioritize investment in public digital infrastructure that focuses on women,” she urged.
Devi highlighted that the Indian government has made substantial investments in finance and programs aimed at empowering women.
It has uplifted millions of women entrepreneurs, from street vendors to startup founders, through a “comprehensive set of financial policies and schemes” designed to support growth from inception to scale, she stated.
Initiatives to enhance women’s economic potential include designating a percentage of government procurements for women and reducing fees for patent applications, resulting in a 900 percent increase in patent filings by women over the past five years, according to the minister.
To promote early financial investment in the girl child, the government has introduced a tax-exempt savings program for their education, benefiting over 41 million girls and accumulating over $2.3 billion in savings.
UN Women Deputy Executive Director Kirsi Madi stated, “As our strong partner, India has launched numerous initiatives for the empowerment of women and girls.”
She cited the example of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (“Save the Girl Child, Educate the Girl Child”) program.
“The initiative includes a robust financial inclusion aspect and promotes investment in the education of girls, creating a supportive environment for their empowerment,” Madi concluded.
