New Delhi, 8 March 2010: Lok Sabha Speaker Smt. Meira Kumar has conveyed her heartiest well wishes on the occasion of the International Women’s Day. She has said in her message:

“It is imperative that at this point in our time we prioritize women’s empowerment as an intrinsic part of our development agenda and policy. The protection of women’s rights and their empowerment is our collective responsibility and the government, social organizations and the civil society in partnership with the media need to create a congenial atmosphere and shape public opinion so that women have freedom to define and achieve their full potential and live purposeful lives. Today women are excelling in every walk of life – be it in the field of space and aeronautics or challenges of self employment. We need to augment our efforts for empowering women and enhance their progress.

India is the largest democracy in the world, with nearly fifty crore women.  It is our moral, social and constitutional responsibility to ensure their progress by providing them with equal rights and opportunities. These ideals are firmly rooted in our Constitution which provides the fundamental framework for development of women and guarantees them equality. Our Parliament, over the years has enacted several laws to address the disparity and aberrations faced by women, and secure to them equal remuneration and right to property, prevention of immoral trafficking and domestic violence, eradication of the practice of sati and dowry, provide for political representation and remove gender disparity, ban child marriage and prohibit sexual harassment of working women. However, the efficacy of these laws and their impact on the lives of women will be felt only when they are implemented in both letter and spirit. For this to happen, society will have to change its mindset. We will have to come forward to check female foeticide, dowry system, violence and discrimination against women. This is an undisputed fact that whenever women have been given opportunities equal to men, their latent talent which has been suppressed for centuries, comes forth and blossoms and this flowering is essential for the progress of the nation”.