New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS): Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on Tuesday released a book titled 'Stories of Change' at her ministry's office. The book captures several success stories of women entrepreneurs in several districts of southern Rajasthan over the last 25 years.

Gandhi further underlined the need for sensitising the menfolk on virtues of protecting the girl child and empowering women and added that societal inequalities can only be addressed by reducing inequality in opportunities.

"Child protection and women's empowerment are two major pillars of India's future development. We can't simply ignore the valuable contribution that the one-half of our humanity is making towards the growth and development of our country," she said.

The minister also lauded the efforts of CUTS Centre for Human Development which has initiated the book and its networkers across villages by creating opportunities for women to become entrepreneurs.

CUTS, based in Rajasthan, is a non-governmental organisation working from grassroots to the international policy-making arenas on diverse subjects such as consumer protection, good governance, economic regulations, international trade.