Gender equality only on paper, must be imbibed in families: Maharashtra CM

Gender equality is currently only on paper and there was need to imbibe it in families by teaching the value that girls and boys are equal, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday.

Interacting with journalists on the occasion of International Women's Day, the CM also said he was happy to be the parent of a girl, adding "daughter's are God's blessings" and that he was fortunate to have received it. "Gender equality is a value that needs to be taught from childhood that girls and boys are individuals who needed to be treated equally. Gender equality is only on paper and needs to be imbibed within families, while governments can make interventions," Fadnavis said. 

  On the personal front, the CM said he never felt pressure from society or family since he only has a daughter. Asserting that his wife is an independent individual, Fadnavis said, "I may not agree with all her views and actions, but as an independent individual, she is free. She is often trolled and has to pay a price for being independent."  The senior BJP leader said his daughter, who is appearing for her Class X exams, aspires to be a lawyer, adding humorously to a query on his legacy that "I might be the last politician of my family". Speaking on the issue of missing girls, the CM said he has directed police to not close files in case there is delay in tracing them. "I have told the police to keep the files open for two to three years," Fadnavis added.  Asserting that social media is a trans border issue that is difficult to restrain, Fadnavis said there is a thin line between freedom of expression and fake news. "Deepfake, morphing can be traced due to technology advancement. It gives the complete digital footprint . We are the best in the country to tackle the social media menace," he said. Informing about steps taken by his government, Fadnavis said it will be ensured that there are toilets for women along all highways in the state. The skills university will train 10,000 women in artificial intelligence (AI) as part of efforts to create jobs for the future, the CM said. Asked about Maharashtra's unique position as the chief secretary, who heads the bureaucracy, and DGP, the top official in the police force, are women, Fadnavis said their performance has been top level. When reservation for women was introduced in 1992 in local bodies, men from the households of elected women representatives ran the show, though that has changed now, he said. "Initially, the doors opened for only the privileged sections but now it is not the case. After implementation of women's quota in assemblies, one-third of the 288 MLAs in Maharashtra will be women," he added.