India voices commitment towards achieving 'gender-equal world'

Voicing its commitment towards achieving a "gender-equal world", India has said that empowering women using enabling information technology could be a "game changer" as technology-enabled women would lead to a "technology-enabled society" faster.
First Secretary in the Indian Mission to the UN Mayank Joshi said at the first regular session of UN Women Executive Board here yesterday that India is committed to steadfastly continue to working together with UN Women and the international community for achieving a "gender-equal world".
"...Empowering women using enabling Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) could be a game changer if harnessed and applied to its full potential, especially in areas of education, healthcare, water and sanitation, energy and help in expediting addressing the challenges of digital divide. Technology-enabled women would lead to a technology- enabled society faster," he said.

He noted that UN Women should also enhance visibility of donations and introduce incentives for donors, who in turn should now move beyond mere political rhetoric of stated commitments.
India, the largest donor among developing countries, has fulfilled its commitment of USD five million to UN Women, having made USD one million contribution last year in November.
He also voiced India's full support to the UN's 'HeForShe' Campaign, a step based on the principle of shared power and responsibility among women and men at home and in the workplace.

He highlighted measures taken by the Indian government towards ensuring equality and dignity for women.

India has nearly 1.5 million elected and empowered women representatives and the recently launched "Beti Bachao Beti Padao" programme is envisioned to break the intergenerational cycle of multiple deprivations faced by girls and women, critical for more inclusive and sustainable growth and arrest gender differential.
"Education, health, development and empowerment of women and girls remain a high priority in our government policies," he said, adding that legislations have been enacted aiming at elimination of violence against women in India and ensuring their protection from sexual offences.
The National Rural Health Mission is working on improvement of many indicators pertaining to gender and women, particularly from vulnerable communities, he said.

"Mainstreaming gender concerns in the policies and programmes of different Ministries/Departments of Government of India and State Governments through gender budgeting has been specially emphasized," he said.