Vice President calls for fast-tracking women’s empowerment to accelerate the nation’s progress

UPSC Prelims 2025 Notes


The Vice President, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu today stressed the need to fast-track empowerment of women educationally, economically, socially and politically for the nation to make further progress on various fronts.

Addressing the 38th annual session of FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO) in Delhi, the Vice President said that there was an urgent need to remove gender disparity in various spheres. “Everybody from the government to the private sector and civil society must join hands in empowering women”, he added.

Shri Naidu also reiterated the need to provide reservations for women in Parliament and State legislatures as a means of empowering them. Women’s empowerment, he said, would have a multiplier effect not only on their own lives but also on the family and society at large. He stressed that for inclusive growth, special attention needs to be given to women, youth and rural India.

Calling for ensuring gender equality and improving the literacy rate among girls, the Vice President said that there should be a special focus on this aspect. Observing that economic empowerment is very important for the progress of women, he called for equal property rights for all children irrespective of their gender.

Urging the corporate sector and various NGOs to supplement the efforts of the government in educating girls, he said that schemes like ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padao’ are implemented in every nook and corner of the country. “There should be no discrimination against girls and every girl child should be made to attend school”, the Vice President added.

Referring to the benefits of women’s education, he said they include decreased fertility rates, lower Infant Mortality Rates and Maternal Mortality Rates. “Education will empower women to become better decision-makers”, he pointed out. The Vice President also emphasised on the importance of ensuring children’s physical fitness and providing them with properly cooked traditional Indian food.

Pointing out that the participation of women in business is increasingly being recognized as fundamental to economic growth, the Vice President stressed the need to encourage more women to become entrepreneurs.

He said that only 14 per cent of the total 58.5 million entrepreneurs in India are women and called for a concerted effort from the industry, government and society to promote entrepreneurship among women. He commended the efforts of FLO in empowering women.

On this occasion, the Vice President released the 38th Annual Report of FICCI Ladies Organisation. A policy document titled – ‘Women Leading India’s Industrial Outlook’ prepared by FLO was also released along with the Annual Report.

Smt. Ujjwala Singhania, President, FLO, Smt. Uma Chigurupati, Chairperson, Hyderabad Chapter of FLO, Ms. Rashmi Sarita, Executive Director, FLO, and eminent women industry leaders attended the event.

 Following is the full text of speech –

“I am delighted to attend the 38th Annual Session of FICCI Ladies Organisation and share my thoughts with all of you.

I am pleased to learn that FLO, which represents over 8,000 women entrepreneurs and professionals, has been promoting entrepreneurship and professional excellence among women through a host of capacity building programmes.

I would like to congratulate 38th National President of FLO, Smt. Ujjwala Singhania on her successful tenure. I would also like to compliment FLO for various initiatives undertaken to empower women, especially the launch of the first women-led industrial park in the country.

Besides this, the Start-up Initiative to handhold potential businesses led by women, FLO Women Directors Initiative to train women to be board-ready and other initiatives for skilling and empowering women for village industries are quite commendable. 

I would also like to congratulate Smt. Uma Chigurupati for her excellent term as the Chairperson of FLO Hyderabad.

Dear sisters and brothers,

Despite the slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent geopolitical developments, India continues to be one of the fastest growing economies. We need to sustain this momentum and organisations like FICCI and FLO have an important role to play in ensuring that the economy stays the course.

The world is looking up to India with a renewed focus and it is the need of the hour for women to move forward with determination and contribute vigorously to the economic development of the country.

With increasing integration into the world economy, India must build the systems and capabilities that will help it withstand economic shocks and sustain high growth rates in the future.

As you all are aware, the Government in a bid to maintain the momentum of reviving the economy has announced a steep increase in the capital expenditure this year. Besides, massive infrastructure projects like the PM Gati Shakthi have been launched. Now is the time for all the stakeholders to push the bar and accelerate economic growth. We have the potential for double digit growth in the coming years and our aim should be to achieve it.

At the same time, it is quite crucial to ensure inclusive growth. Indian businesses must understand that innovating to bring India’s geographically remote and low-income groups into the mainstream of economic life now has the potential to become the most valuable business opportunity of the next decade.

With women comprising about 49 percent of our population, empowering them socially, economically and politically needs to be fast-tracked for the nation to make further progress on various fronts.

The first and crucial step in that direction is to ensure gender equality and improve the literacy rate among girls. There should be a special focus on this aspect and I urge the corporate sector and various NGOs to supplement the efforts of the government. It must be ensured that schemes like ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padao’ are implemented in every nook and corner of the country. There should be no discrimination against girls and every girl child should be made to attend school. 

It should be noted that benefits of women’s education include decreased fertility rates, lower Infant Mortality Rates and Maternal Mortality Rates. Education will empower women to become better decision-makers.

Dear Sisters and brothers,

We are proud inheritors of a culture and heritage which always treated women with respect. Our cultural moorings have gender equality as a core principle. During the early Vedic period women were seen as equal to men in all walks of life.

Our history also recorded many achievements of extraordinary women in different fields. Unfortunately, some undesirable trends such as gender discrimination have crept in the modern times. This has resulted in low literacy, low education and consequently, low representation in the workforce and politics.

There is an urgent need to remove gender disparity in various spheres. Everybody from the government to the private sector and civil society must join hands in empowering women.

I have always advocated the need to provide reservations for women in Parliament and State legislatures as a means of empowering them. As you all are aware, women’s empowerment will have a multiplier effect not only on their own lives but also on the family and the society at large.

There is also a need to encourage more women to become entrepreneurs as I believe only 14 per cent of the total 58.5 million entrepreneurs in India are women. This needs to change and I would like to take this opportunity to commend FLO for its exceptional efforts in that direction.

The MSME ecosystem in India is buzzing with innovative ideas and creative solutions. But the number of women entrepreneurs and business owners is much lower in this sector.

The participation of women in business is increasingly being recognized globally, as fundamental to economic growth.

To accelerate women’s participation in the process of economic development, the first step is to develop and promote entrepreneurship among women – and for this concerted effort is required from the industry, government and the society.

It is a heartening fact that India is a young nation today with about 65 per cent of the population below the age of 35 years. We need to skill and re-skill young and dynamic workforce and promote entrepreneurial drive among them, including women.

FLO will have to play a bigger role in promoting women’s participation in the process of economic development. I am sure that as it completes 38th year and enters into its 39th year with a new leadership, with Smt. Jayanti Dalmia as the incoming President, FLO will come up with more initiatives on women’s empowerment in various fields.

Once again, I am very happy to join you today and convey my best wishes to all of you for your future endeavours.

JAI HIND!”

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MS/RK/DP





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