The Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Monday unanimously passed a Resolution saluting the “indomitable spirit of women in contributing to the progress of the Nation”, with Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh declaring his government’s strong and continued commitment to the empowerment of women and the girl child at every level, including the family, the work place and the society in general.Recognizing the immense contribution of women in making this world a better place to live, the House resolved “to work with dedication towards providing them an ambience of equity, justice, and freedom to further empower them to be equal partners in the progress of Punjab and our country.” The Akalis continued to remain suspended as per the Speaker’s directions.Lauding the decisions of the State Government to provide 50% reservation for women in the Urban Local Bodies and the Panchayati Raj Institutions, and 33% reservation in State Government employment, it noted that ‘this ensures better representation of women in decision-making and contributes to the furtherance of their interests.’Earlier, placing the Resolution before the House on the occasion of the International Women’s Day today, the Chief Minister termed it an occasion “to realistically assess where we have reached and to rededicate ourselves to providing a life of equality and dignity to every woman in the State.”
Recalling the words of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, who had said about women: “so kyun manda aakhiye jittu jammen rajan”, the Chief Minister stressed the importance of various measures to power the changing attitudes about women. He expressed happiness over the fulfilment of his government’s promise to provide 50% reservation in Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies, asserting that “this increased political representation will provide political empowerment to women.” Referring to the reservation of Punjab’s women in 33% of jobs in Government and State Government undertakings, Captain Amarinder hoped this economic empowerment would also lead to their social empowerment. He also underlined the need to “commit ourselves to ensuring that every girl child is educated so that she is provided the right foundation to access her rights.”The Chief Minister underscored the importance of ensuring an environment where women can be provided both safety and any offenders can be brought to justice, swiftly and surely. He cited the recently launched Mata Tripta Mahila Yojana for the empowerment of women headed households in Punjab as another step to strengthen thousands of women and their families in the state. Under this scheme, 105 sub-schemes are to be implemented by the various Departments, he disclosed.Digging into the history of Punjab, the Chief Minister pointed out that it was replete with great women personalities, such as Indira Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher and Bibi Sahib Kaur.
Text of the Resolution
This House salutes the indomitable spirit of women in contributing to the progress of the Nation. They have braved various odds, including societal attitudes and discrimination, and cemented their place in society and the country as an invaluable contributor to growth and development. Besides excelling in their role as homemakers, women are also playing their rightful part in charting and steering the course of the nation. They are a binding force for the peaceful coexistence of our society and the country. This House strongly feels that empowerment of women is both essential and desirable. The progress of our nation would have been much faster had the political, economic, and social empowerment of women occurred much earlier. This delay has only raised the height of the glass ceiling, making it much more difficult to scale. But it is to their credit that, against all odds, women are today excelling in all areas be that education, civil services, defence, entrepreneurship, space travel, agriculture, or politics. This House lauds the decisions of the State Government to provide 50% reservation for women in the Urban Local Bodies and the Panchayati Raj Institutions; and 33% reservation in State Government employment. This ensures better representation of women in decision-making and contributes to the furtherance of their interests. Today, on International Women’s Day, this House recognizes the immense contribution of women in making this world a better place to live, and resolves to work with dedication towards providing them an ambience of equity, justice, and freedom to further empower them to be equal partners in the progress of Punjab and our country.