NEW DELHI: Issues concerning nutrition and the security of women and children did not receive due attention for four decades until Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014 and delivered on all these fronts, Union minister Smriti Irani said on Friday.In a session themed ‘Her Road from India: From Boardrooms to Global Institutions’ at the Raisina Dialogue, the women and child development minister outlined India’s transformative journey in addressing critical issues concerning women and children.Irani shed light on the substantial progress made under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and highlighted the initiatives undertaken to bridge longstanding gaps in healthcare, security, and gender equality.”Prime Minister Modi inherited a four-decade lag in issues of nutrition in women and children, where women’s security lacked an emergency response system. In the past decade, we have delivered on all fronts,” she said, emphasising the government’s proactive approach to tackling entrenched challenges.Irani underscored the impact of the government’s initiatives, stating, “For the first time, in every police station in our country, there is a help desk. In every district, there is an Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU). We’ve reached 100 million beneficiaries through 1.4 million nutrition centres and 2.2 million workers, marking the world’s largest nutrition programme.”She also highlighted India’s advocacy for women’s rights on the global stage, including the inclusion of the women’s agenda in G20 discussions.British parliamentarian and deputy leader of the Labour Party, Angela Rayner, echoed Irani’s sentiments and emphasised the pivotal role of women in driving economic growth and advocating for gender parity in legislative bodies.”In the UK, we have achieved gender parity in legislative bodies, with 50 percent of legislators being women,” Rayner said, highlighting the importance of such representation in fostering inclusive governance.The session also witnessed poignant moments, including an emotional tribute to Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, by her daughter, who commended her mother’s remarkable journey to leadership.
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