PM lauds women's contribution in India's development, urges to promote empowerment

New Delhi [India], Apr. 13 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded the contribution of women of the nation towards the development of the country and said that they have potential and are getting better day by day. "The contribution of women is remarkable. Women of our country have the potential and they strive hard for success in their field," said the Prime Minister while addressing the commemoration of golden jubilee of Indian Merchant Chamber's ladies wing, thorough video conferencing. He said that the government has initiated number of measures to empower the women as they want them to shine. "Over 70 percent people who have got loans under Mudra Yojana are women. Women contribute the most in the dairy and animal husbandry sector," he said. He also endorsed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government's various initiative to empower women and promote Gender equality and said that, "We have recently passed the Maternity Bill. Number of leaves has been more than doubled from 12 to 26 weeks and has also done away with the provision that sought marriage details of woman for issuing passport." He said that from Panchayats to Parliament, women are leading from the front and said that even Mahatma Gandhi advocated women empowerment. The Prime Minister said that the women don't have to submit marriage or divorce certificate for passport, adding that it would be their discretion to use father/mother's name in it. "At the time when he returned to India, Bapu met Ganga Baa who gifted him the 'Charkha', which led Mahatma Gandhi to think more seriously on the issue of women empowerment," he said. The Ladies' Wing of the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a premier business and professional women's organisation. It has more than 2,200 members, consisting of entrepreneurs, managers, professionals and women from leading business houses. (ANI)