Faridabad, Sep 7 — Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Monday that every effort that strengthens the capabilities of women legislators contributes directly to improving the quality of democracy.
Speaking at a two-day Capacity Building Workshop on “Gender Responsive Governance for Women Legislators” under the National Commission for Women’s ‘She is a Changemaker’ initiative in Faridabad, Birla encouraged women legislators to deepen their understanding of parliamentary processes, policy, legislation and budgets.
The Lok Sabha Speaker called upon women legislators to make their public service a means of strengthening inclusive governance and to use their positions to shape the future of their states and the nation.
He also emphasised the importance of dialogue, participation and trust in a democracy.
NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar highlighted that the programme has brought together more than 100 women legislators, including MLAs and MLCs from across the country, providing a national platform for dialogue, experience-sharing and capacity building.
She said that women legislators were not only representatives of their constituencies but also powerful voices for education, health, economy, technology, security and good governance.
Rahatkar emphasised that women’s political participation brings a distinct perspective to governance and that their leadership can inspire wider social change.
She urged the participating legislators to use their constitutional authority and public platforms to become voices for the aspirations of millions of women and to ensure that women in their constituencies are aware of their rights and able to access the benefits of government schemes.
The first day of the workshop featured four technical sessions focused on leadership, legislative functioning, public policy and gender-responsive governance, said an official statement.
The sessions provided women legislators with practical insights and opportunities to exchange experiences and best practices in public leadership and governance, it said.
Through such capacity-building initiatives, the NCW seeks to strengthen the capabilities of women legislators, enabling them to contribute more effectively to policymaking, governance and public service, while advancing meaningful and sustained women’s leadership in public life.
Those present at the inauguration of the workshop included Surama Padhy, Speaker, Odisha Legislative Assembly; Laxmi Rajwade, Minister of WCD, Chhattisgarh; Bindhu Krishna, Minister of WCD, Kerala; K. A. Thulasi, Minister, SC, ST and OBC, Kerala; Rajesh Nagar, Minister of Food & Civil Supplies, Haryana; Kalita Majhi, Minister of State, Department of Housing, West Bengal; and Sudeep Jain, Member Secretary, NCW, the statement said.