The Executive Director of UN Women , Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka called on the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi in New Delhi today.
Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said that India is a critical country from the perspective of UN for moving towards achievement of UN Gender goals. She stated that the gender issues need to be embedded into the process of achievement of MDGs because without the achievement of gender goals achievement of MDGs would either be not possible or would be meaningless. Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka agreed that it is very important to empower women at the grassroots level and to give a second chance to those women who have dropped out of school at an early age by training and educating them. She also emphasized the importance of involvement of men to create a channel of communication on the issues. Ms Ngcuka said that India is a technology savvy country which makes it easier for the UN to collaborate with India for purpose of strategizing and positioning of women's issues.
Mrs Gandhi said that saving the girl child became a high priority on the agenda of the new Government with the Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi announcing the Beti Bachao Bati Padhao (BBBP) campaign. She said that UN Women can supplement towards the advocacy efforts for the BBBP scheme through creation of content for public outreach and capacity building of women through skill development programmes. She said that economic empowerment has to be the basic instrument of bringing about gender equality as it is only the economically empowered woman who can strive to seek an equal position with men.
Both sides agreed to continue working towards greater cooperation in the field of creating a gender equal world.
NB/PS
Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said that India is a critical country from the perspective of UN for moving towards achievement of UN Gender goals. She stated that the gender issues need to be embedded into the process of achievement of MDGs because without the achievement of gender goals achievement of MDGs would either be not possible or would be meaningless. Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka agreed that it is very important to empower women at the grassroots level and to give a second chance to those women who have dropped out of school at an early age by training and educating them. She also emphasized the importance of involvement of men to create a channel of communication on the issues. Ms Ngcuka said that India is a technology savvy country which makes it easier for the UN to collaborate with India for purpose of strategizing and positioning of women's issues.
Mrs Gandhi said that saving the girl child became a high priority on the agenda of the new Government with the Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi announcing the Beti Bachao Bati Padhao (BBBP) campaign. She said that UN Women can supplement towards the advocacy efforts for the BBBP scheme through creation of content for public outreach and capacity building of women through skill development programmes. She said that economic empowerment has to be the basic instrument of bringing about gender equality as it is only the economically empowered woman who can strive to seek an equal position with men.
Both sides agreed to continue working towards greater cooperation in the field of creating a gender equal world.
NB/PS
