Only 4.5 per cent of India Is skilled, says Rajiv Pratap Rudy

Dr. Mukul Sangma, Chief Minister of Meghalaya, expressed a keen desire to partner with FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) to enhance the socio-economic position of women in the state. Many of the schemes of the Meghalaya government for imparting financial literacy and social emancipation could be integrated and dovetailed with those of FLO and the success stories so generated could be replicated in states across the country.

Addressing the FICCI Ladies Organisation's (FLO) 32nd Annual Session, Dr. Sangma said that FLO provides an apt platform for integrating and scaling up the policies of the government. The convergence of efforts of the government and Flo could help in promoting women empowerment. He added that women should not be just beneficiaries in these initiatives but must be made partners.

Mr. Sangma said that education could play a great role in improving the stature of women in society. Educated women had the power of scripting their own success stories while enabling their families and children to step up in the society.

Mr. Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship & Parliamentary Affairs, today offered the government's commitment to FLO and assured that then government would facilitate the initiatives taken up by FLO. The government was promoting the agenda of skilling and had created an enabling ecosystem for it and needed organizations like FLO to scale up skilling.

In his special address, Mr. Rudy said that only 4.5 per cent of India was skilled as compared to the US, UK, Japan and Korea with figures of 54 per cent, 68 per cent, 86 per cent and 96 per cent, respectively indicating a much higher percentage of skilled manpower. He added that 10 years of education was necessary but it does not make a person employable whereas a 10-week skilling program could allow a person to become immediately employable. Hence, it was imperative to promote skilling amongst workforce.

On the occasion, a FLO Annual Report was released and the FLO Governing Body Members 2016-17 was announced.

In her presentation on FLO initiatives, Ms. Archana Garodia Gupta, President, FLO, said that FLO had initiated a number of long term programmes such WE in Education; WE in Transport; WE in Telecom; WE in Ecommerce; SWAYAM; FLO Smart Village and FLO Mahila Haat Project. She suggested that the government could initiate policy & advocacy measures for women empowerment such as increasing land ownership by women; create women's industrial parks; create Mahila Haats; create a procurement policy for the government to purchase from women SHGs and entrepreneurs; skill development; gender budgeting in Sectoral Skill Councils; improving access to Finance; and making available good quality and affordable Childcare.

In her acceptance speech, the new President of FLO, Ms. Vinita Bimbhet, announced that FLO would soon be opening a new chapter in Jammu and Kashmir.

In his special remark, Mr. Harshvardhan Neotia, President, FICCI, said that men and women were equally responsible for achieving gender quality. Lauding FLO's efforts to bring about awareness among women and furthering the cause of women empowerment, Mr. Neotia said that FLO had initiated exceptional schemes which were bringing about a positive change.

Later, Ms. Debjani Ghosh, Vice President, Sales and Marketing Group & Managing Director, South Asia, Intel; Ms. Rebecca R Tavares, Representative in India -UN Women and Mr. Akshay BD, Founding Member, Uber India, also shared their perspectives on women empowerment.

The moderator of the session was Ms. Jyotsna Kaur Habibullah, Chapter Chairperson- Lucknow-Kanpur Chapter.