Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets delegates after the valedictory session at the National Conference of Women Legislators at Parliament House in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets delegates after the valedictory session at the National Conference of Women Legislators at Parliament House in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)
While maintaining silence over the Women’s reservation Bill in Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday made a strong case for empowerment of women. President Pranab Mukherjee and vice-president Hamid Ansari had strongly advocated for the women’s reservation bill on Saturday.
The Prime Minister reasoned that mere changes in the system will not suffice and the women should look for technologically empowering themselves to become effective representatives of the people. “Some changes in structure keep on happening but the need is for the women leaders to empower themselves technologically and make effective interventions. You will have to make yourself effective. You will have to present issues with facts and figures. Merely changes in the system will not suffice,” said Mr Modi, while counselling that “you should have the knowledge of subjects”.
While speaking at the national conference of women legislators, Mr Modi suggested “try to develop your independent image as a public representative”. He further added that women leaders should make an attempt to have their own image in their respective constituencies. “Once the image of your working style and your views is established among people, it will last for long. You will see people accepting your ideas once you are thus established,” added the Prime Minister.
Incidentally, President Mukherjee had strongly argued for implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in elected bodies. He rued that it was a “sad commentary” that so far the country has not been able to achieve over 12 per cent representation for women in Parliament’s total membership. In the same vein, Dr Ansari had also asked political parties to voluntarily increase the nomination of women candidates in elections till the legislation is enacted. But in contrast the PM chose not to touch the issue apparently well aware of the fact that the legislative space of the NDA has shrunken because of scale in the Rajya Sabha tilted against the ruling party.
“Politics is a game of competition but when the feeling of jealousy dominates in competition, then you can not grow. If you start feeling that what will happen to you if more talented women come in your field, or if your attempt is that I am there and will not allow anybody else to progress. Rather if you allow others to come up, you will go high. A kind of pyramid-like structure comes up then,” the Prime Minister explained.
