Shillong, June 08: The first State Women’s Conference on the theme, “Support and Celebrate” was held here today at State Convention Centre which was inaugurated by Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma.
The inaugural function was also attended by Minister, Social Welfare, Kyrmen Shylla, Chief Secretary, Rebecca V Suchiang and Principal Secretary, Social Welfare, P S Kumar and Chairperson, Meghalaya State Women’s Commission, Phidalia Toi.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister said that the conference is one of the biggest conferences that the State has had in a very long time. “The fact that this conference has such a big attendance and is also being viewed by online by about two lakh women from all the 46 blocks of the State just goes to show the commitment that women have to the cause they take up,” he said.
He also added that the conference is the outcome of a meeting with Meghalaya State Women’s Commission where a necessity was felt to have a platform where not only all critical issue relating to women and society can be discussed and addressed but where women can connect and womanhood celebrated.
The Chief Minister also added that the women’s commission plays a very important in providing the connect between the reality at the grass root level as being the voice of the women and the being the connect to the government.
“The women’s commission plays a very crucial role to bring different stakeholders together therefore we intend to make this Women’s Conference an annual event where the contributions of women achievers in different walks of life will be recognized,” he said.
The Chief Minister spoke of the different programmes of the government for the economic and social empowerment of women. “We realized that there is a need to engage women economically so that they can divert their energies to different productive activities and the experiences shared by different women today bears testimony that an economically empowered women are in a better position to take care of their children, family and themselves,” he added.
The Chief Minister also launched the Early Childhood Development Mission during the occasion and released a Booklet to mark the same. He also announced the launch of the revamped 181 Helpline.
Earlier Union Minister, Women and Child Development, Government of India, Smriti Zubin Irani, in her message that was relayed during the inaugural session expressed happiness that the State government is organizing the conference for the cause of women and children.
She lauded the dedicated efforts of the State government for the empowerment and emancipation of women in the State and said that it is important for all facets of administration to bring to the core of their services the needs of women and children. “I hope the accomplishments of the Meghalaya government become the best practices for other states and the Government of India to emulate,” she said.
Post the Inaugural Session discussions were held on ‘The Gender Gap in Decision Making in Meghalaya and Ways to Promote Women’s Leadership’ and on the topic ‘Women’s rights and voice, women’s health and safety- Analysis of the present scenario and the way forward’ by eminent journalists, professors, academicians, activists, doctors and law enforcers.
