India calls for global efforts to empower women at UN General Assembly

United Nations: India has called for the international community to strengthen political and financial commitments to ensure a life of dignity for all women who bear a disproportionate burden of poverty. [caption id=“attachment_2446010” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  United Nations. Reuters[/caption] “Women bear a disproportionate burden of poverty, globally,” First Secretary in the Indian Mission to the UN Mayank Joshi said at a UN General Assembly Third Committee session on ‘Advancement of Women’. “In the challenging times of increasing armed conflict, climate change, economic crises and natural disasters across the world, we need to seize this historic opportunity to re-strategise efforts and strengthen commitments, both political and financial for achieving an equal, poverty-free and sustainable world, and ensuring a life of dignity for all women and girls,” he said. Joshi said innovative technologies including IT are important enablers and coupled with judicious use of social media and internet, “we can vastly improve the efficacy and reach of the implementation of gender specific strategies globally.” He highlighted the number of legislations put in place in India for the protection of women, including against all forms of violence, sexual harassment at workplace, human trafficking, prohibition of child marriage and protection of children from sexual offences and exploitation. He stressed that social and political empowerment of women is integral to inclusive and sustainable growth and development in the country. “Towards achieving the goal of their empowerment, women are also being made aware in the legal literacy programmes about their legal rights namely right to property, right to maintenance, right to education, right to be treated equally in employment, labour laws, gender sensitisation,” he said. Joshi cited the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme, which ensures that half jobs generated are reserved for women, and with equal pay as men. The Jan Dhan Yojana (public finance scheme) is also proving to be an economic breakthrough for thousands of women who urgently required overcoming the vicious cycle of poverty and debt, Joshi said. Joshi said efforts are also underway towards gender sensitisation of public functionaries including police and the judiciary, the civil society and the public through appropriate training and awareness campaigns. PTI