The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that we need to extend reservations for women in Parliament and Assemblies on the lines of Panchayats. He was addressing the function ‘Building a New India’ being organized by the FICCI Ladies Organization, in Hyderabad today. The Deputy Chief Minister of Telangana, Mohammad Mahmood Ali and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.The Vice President said that India today is on the threshold of transforming into a major economic power. For this all Indians will have to work with renewed passion and commitment towards building the New India and the India of the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay and several other freedom fighters, he added.The Vice President said that the New India will be fully literate, free of corruption with shelter to every family, provide power on demand, best healthcare, meet the employment aspirations of the youth, empower women, double farmers’ income and convert India into an economic powerhouse with IT, Agriculture and Industrial sectors contributing significantly to its economic growth.The Vice President said that our ethos and values always respected women and it is unfortunate that abhorrent tendencies of atrocities are taking place in modern times.
It needs no reiteration that the most stringent action has to be taken against perpetrators of atrocities on women, he added.The Vice President said that educating a woman means educating an entire family. He further said that ending gender disparity, ensuring safety, healthcare, imparting job skills, creating more job opportunities and ensuring safe work places are all aimed at empowering women. The Vice President quoted UN report, saying for every one additional year of education for women in reproductive age, child mortality is reduced by a huge 9.50 per cent. The Government has launched various schemes, including ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ which seeks to reverse the trend of decline in Child Sex Ratio, he added.The Vice President also interacted with the Members of the FICCI Ladies Organization. Responding to a question on what needs to be done for the women empowerment, the Vice President said that education is very important for the empowerment of women. He further said that financial security is also an important factor for women empowerment. They should be given equal opportunities, equal rights and health facilities, he added.