Women-led development has been the priority of the Union government and it has been incorporated in India’s foreign policy, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the concluding day of the three-day 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention here on Friday.

The final day of the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention began with a plenary session themed “Diaspora Divas: Celebrating Women’s Leadership and Influence – Nari Shakti,” under the chairmanship of the Union Minister of External Affairs.

Advertisement

On this aspect, Jaishankar opined that giving due respect to their skills, the government is committed to ensuring women’s nutrition, health, education by reducing social disparities.

He highlighted major Government initiatives like increase in paid maternity leave to 26 weeks, granting loans to 3 crore women entrepreneurs under the MUDRA scheme, 28% increase in women’s enrolment in higher education, and the opening of 32 lakh bank accounts under the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana. Added to this, he proudly said that over 10 crore smoke-free kitchens have been provided under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana and 72% of the beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana are women. He prioritised women development and women-led development.

He admired the women achievers who have created their unique identity in various fields, stating that their achievements could be inspirational for all. He recalled that during the G-20 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called for using this world forum as a platform to ensure the enhancement of women’s skills in the future.

Ritu Karidhal of ISRO, known as India’s ‘Rocket Woman,’ moderated the panel discussion. Notable participants included Shullette Cox from Jamaica’s Promotions Corporation, Purnima Sagar from PT Infotech Solutions in Indonesia, and Sudha Majithia, a key entrepreneur in Tanzania.

The panel also featured Indrani Ramprasad, a professor from Trinidad and Tobago, Maitri Yoshi a social welfare initiatives from Ethiopia, Sakala Appachu DeBra a, communication specialist from Doha , Koki Vever promoting Indian handicrafts in Slovenia, and Lovelyn Brenna, CEO of Norway’s Center for Diversity Leadership.

Together, they shared their rich experiences and insights, highlighting the significant role of women in shaping India’s global presence and empowerment narrative.