PM addresses Post Budget Webinar on “Economic Empowerment of Women”

New Delhi, March 11 : The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, addressed a Post Budget Webinar on the subject of “Economic Empowerment of Women”. It is the 11th of a series of 12 post-budget webinars organized by the government to seek ideas and suggestions for effectively implementing the initiatives announced in the Union Budget 2023.

The Prime Minister expressed happiness that the country has seen this year’s Budget as an auspicious beginning for achieving the target of Vikasit Bharat by 2047. “The budget has been seen and tested from the point of view of future Amrit Kaal. It is a good sign for the country that the citizens of the country are also looking at the next 25 years by linking them with these goals,” he said.

The Prime Minister reiterated that in the last 9 years, the country has moved with a vision of women-led development. He continued that India has taken these efforts to the global stage as it is figuring prominently in the G-20 meeting presided over by India. This year’s budget will give new momentum to these efforts of women led development, he said.

The Prime Minister underlined the Nari Shakti’s strengths of determination, will power, imagination, ability to work for goals and extreme hard work as reflection of ‘Matru Shakti’. He said these qualities are playing a major role in increasing the speed and scale of India in this century.

The Prime Minister said that today, the results of efforts for women empowerment are visible and we are feeling a revolutionary change in the social life of the country. He said that that number of women compared to men is increasing, and the number of girls studying up to high school and beyond has tripled in the last 9-10 years. Girls’ enrolment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths is at 43 percent today, more than countries like America, UK and Germany. In fields like medical, sports, business or politics, not only the participation of women has grown but they are leading from the front.

The Prime Minister touched upon the fact that 70 percent Mudra loan beneficiaries are women. Similarly, women benefit from  schemes for promotion of collateral free loans under SVANidhi and promotion schemes in  animal husbandry, fisheries,  village industries, FPOs and sports.