New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS): India is promoting digital, and financial literacy among women entrepreneurs in rural areas, said Savitri Thakur, Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
She said this at the ongoing 63rd session of the UN's Commission for Social Development (CSoCD), being held from February 10 to 14, in New York, US. The session is aimed at encouraging discussions and collaborations on pressing social development challenges, with an emphasis on advancing inclusive social policies and fostering global social well-being.
“India has embraced ‘women-led development’, ensuring women are key players in shaping the development trajectory,” said Thakur.
“India has launched large-scale programmes to bridge the gender digital divide, promoting digital and financial literacy, especially in rural areas. This has empowered millions of women entrepreneurs, from start-ups to scalable businesses,” she added.
Thakur stated that initiatives like the JAM TRINITY (Jan Dhan, Aadhar, Mobile), have helped “India achieve financial inclusion for disadvantaged communities, especially women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly”.
The Minister highlighted increasing women’s workforce participation is a key priority of the government and thus they have developed a robust social protection model. This includes 26 weeks of paid maternity leave, maternity benefits for 37.5 million mothers, a network of one-stop centres, and an integrated national women’s helpline.
In addition, India also provides early childhood care, nutrition, and education which benefit over 100 million children, mothers, and adolescent girls.
"India is fully committed to accelerating global progress and supporting the Commission’s efforts toward a just world for all,” Thakur said.
The session witnessed the participation of 49 Countries including Ministers from 16 countries like France, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, etc.
India has been an active participant since the 1995 Copenhagen Summit on Social Development. The country has also made significant progress in addressing poverty, malnutrition, and universal healthcare, while also pioneering digital public infrastructure for sustainable development.