Empowerment, equality, liberty, dignity are women's sacred rights: President Mukherjee

President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said that we should remind ourselves that the empowerment of women and their equality, liberty and dignity are not a distant goal but are their sacred rights.

"We should remind ourselves that the empowerment of women and their equality, liberty and dignity are not a distant goal or fond aspiration of the women of our country. It is one of their sacred rights. It is not a privilege that they should seek. It has been a key element in the codes of conduct that our ancient societies prescribed for themselves more than 3000 years ago," President Mukherjee said while presenting Stree Shakti Puraskars and Nari Shakti Puruskars for the year 2014 on the occasion of International Women's Day.

"When the founding fathers of independent India drafted our constitution, they ensured that its principles and provisions duly emphasised women's rights and equality. Our Central and State Governments have been duly prioritizing women's development," he added.

The President also said that there are, nevertheless, enduring societal perceptions and attitudes which inhibit the pace of improvement in the condition and position of Indian women in our society and economy.

"These call for urgent individual as well as collective introspection. We must identify these weaknesses and their root cause. We must make the required effort to remove the structural and institutional barriers that inhibit the economic and social transformation of women in India. For example, violence against women continues to threaten the safety, well being and potential of women and girls across our country. Even their perception of their respective vulnerabilities constrains their freedom of movement and access to education, work and essential services," he said.

"For true empowerment, an effective convergence of all aspects impacting a women's life is required - be it social, economic or political. Let us, on International Women's Day, reaffirm our commitment to ensure gender equity and empowerment of women in India to enable them to realize their full potential and participate meaningfully in all aspects of our country's development," he added.

President Mukherjee congratulated the winners of Stree Shakti and Nari Shakti Puruskar and also thanked the Ministry of Women and Child Development for organizing this event and encouraging the distinguished awardees to work towards a noble cause.