By IANS
New York : India has expressed its readiness to work with the international community both within and outside the United Nations for the early realisation of the goal of gender equality and empowerment of women.
Addressing the ongoing session of the Commission on the Status of Women, India’s ambassador to the UN, Nirupam Sen, said Monday that the achievement of the goal, which is one of the world body’s Millennium Development Goals, would largely depend on the international community’s collective efforts in timely allocation of necessary financial resources.
“While primary responsibility for allocation of finances rests with the country concerned, it has been recognised that the international community should match up to its commitment by provision of new and additional financial resources, transfer of technology, sharing of experiences, expertise, information and data, technical cooperation and capacity-building,” he said.
Referring to steps India is taking for women’s empowerment, Sen said gender equity and equality has been a key guiding principle of government policies.
“India’s planning process is fully committed to enabling women to be equal partners in development,” he said, adding that a separate Department for Women and Child Development, created in 1985, has been upgraded to a central ministry in 2005.
Reservation 12 years ago of one-third of urban and local self-government seats for women has led to over one million Indian women at the grassroots level being brought into political decision-making, Sen said, which effectively gives them a significant say in utilisation of financial resources allocated to the local-self governing bodies in rural and urban areas.
He added that a similar reservation of seats for women in Parliament remains under consideration.