Prioritise women's empowerment: Meira Kumar

As the bill seeking 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures of India is set to be tabled in parliament, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Sunday said the nation should prioritise women empowerment as part of "our agenda and policy".

As the bill seeking 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures of India is set to be tabled in parliament, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Sunday said the nation should prioritise women empowerment as part of "our agenda and policy".

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In her message conveying her "heartiest" wishes on the International Women's Day to be celebrated Monday, Meira Kumar said: "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 women's reservation bill will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha Monday and is expected to sail through though some parties have said they will oppose the legislation.

"The protection of women's rights and their empowerment is our collective responsibility and the government, social organisations 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," said Meira Kumar, the first woman speaker of the Lok Sabha.

She said India, the largest democracy, has nearly 50 crore women and "it is our moral, social and constitutional responsibility to ensure their progress by providing them with equal rights and opportunities".