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Bengaluru to host first CWP India Region conference on Nov 17, 18
Bengaluru to host first CWP India Region conference on Nov 17, 18
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Bengaluru, Bengaluru will host the first CWP India Region Conference on November 17 and 18, Assembly Speaker G S Patil and Legislative Council Chairman Saleem Ahmed said on Monday.
Around 150 women MPs, legislators and presiding officers from across the country are expected to attend the two-day event.
The conference, organised in coordination with the Indian Parliament and the Karnataka Legislature, will focus on cyber safety, mentorship and leadership development for newly elected women legislators.
Addressing a joint press conference, the two presiding officers said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar would inaugurate the event on November 17.
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians India Region Chairperson D Purandeswari will attend the inaugural ceremony, along with other dignitaries.
The delegation will comprise women MPs, Speakers and Deputy Speakers, MLAs and Members of Legislative Councils from various states and Union Territories.
Representatives of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association may also attend.
The conference will be held under the theme 'Safe Foundations, Strong Voices: Cyber Safety and Mentorship Pathways for New Women Legislators'.
Discussions will cover digital empowerment, cybersecurity, online harassment, the misuse of artificial intelligence and deepfake technology, and the protection of personal information and privacy.
The delegates will discuss safeguards against online abuse, misinformation campaigns through fake accounts, cybercrime and other digital threats faced by women in public life.
Mentorship for first-time women legislators will be another key area, with sessions on legislative procedures, lawmaking, policymaking, participation in parliamentary debates, leadership development and the use of technology in legislative work.
The conference aims to bring experienced and newly elected women representatives together to exchange knowledge and best practices and to strengthen their confidence and effectiveness in legislatures.
"Bringing together women elected representatives from different states on a common platform marks an important milestone in India's parliamentary history. The true strength of democracy lies in the meaningful participation of women," Patil said.
He said increasing women's representation in legislatures was essential, but it was equally important to strengthen their leadership in lawmaking and governance. It was a matter of pride for Karnataka to host a national parliamentary gathering of such significance, he added.
Ahmed said digital technology had opened up new opportunities for women, but cyber harassment, online abuse, deepfakes and the misuse of personal information had emerged as serious challenges.
"Greater priority must be given to the digital safety of women, particularly those in public life. Bringing women elected representatives from across the country together to deliberate on these issues is both timely and highly relevant," he said.
He stressed the need for continuous training, research and technological support to enhance the legislative knowledge of women representatives.
A curtain-raiser programme will be held in Bengaluru on November 14, when Shivakumar and Purandeswari will unveil the official conference poster.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
