Miscellaneous
SAsian women leaders meet with focus on empowerment
Women entrepreneurs have called for policies that create a conducive environment for women to thrive both in politics and economy, as a regional conference aimed at enhancing leadership and economic empowerment of South Asian women kicked off on Wednesday.Women entrepreneurs have called for policies that create a conducive environment for women to thrive both in politics and economy, as a regional conference aimed at enhancing leadership and economic empowerment of South Asian women kicked off on Wednesday.
Parliamentarians, experts and women business leaders of national organisations from the Saarc region are attending the two-day event titled ‘Women, Leadership and the Economy in South Asia’.
Women leaders and entrepreneurs also called on lawmakers to open a new cluster of public leadership and nudge talented women to join politics for change.
“We realise that policies are formed by lawmakers and we have included parliamentarians from the region in the conference as women from this region need to come together to build a common strategy for economic empowerment of women in South Asia,” said Pramila Acharya Rijal, president of South Asian Women Development Forum (SAWDF).
The outcome of the conference will be a set of action-oriented recommendations that will be leveraged through over 20 federations and chambers, the event organisers SAWDF said.
Inaugurating the event, Nepali Congress President and former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba sought participation of more women in income-generating and other economic activities to uplift their economic status and said that the new constitution has provisions of women’s participation.
“Through the principle of proportional representation enshrined in the constitution, at least one-third of total members in national and provincial parliaments will comprise women. Top constitutional positions such as that of the President, Speaker and their deputies will see a full gender balance,” Deuba said, expressing hope that these clauses will open a new cluster of public leadership and nudge talented women to join the national politics.
On the occasion, Minister for Foreign Affairs Prakash Sharan Mahat said assumption of the posts of the President, Chief Justice and Speaker by women candidates in Nepal has given a new message to the entire world.
The conference is being held with an aim to build a common strategy for promoting women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship in South Asia for deepening regional cooperation.
“Participation of women in policy making and other important spheres is also
crucial to achieving sustainable development goals. Inclusion of women in government will improve people’s trust,” said Kinley Om, a member of National Assembly of Bhutan.