The Hindu Business Line : `AP DWCRA has become a role model for the country'

EMPOWERMENT of women involves not just providing them employment opportunities. It involves protection from vulnerabilities such as health issues, gender bias, social stigmas and law and order problems, according to Ms C.S. Ramalakshmi, Commissioner of Women Empowerment and Self-Employment, said.

Speaking on `Role of women in rural prosperity' at the day-long seminar on `Rural development - Opportunities and challenges', she said technological advances did not percolate down to lessen the burden of women.

Ms Ramalakshmi, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Employment Generation Mission (Government of Andhra Pradesh), said the State's initiative to empower women through DWCRA (Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas) had become a role model for the entire country. "Even big corporates are approaching us to cash in on the huge network of DWCRA women. We have already started working with HLL. If big companies are interested in taking up retailing in rural areas, why not the DWCRA groups do the same," she asked.

Asking the industry to identify the areas where they could chip in to find placements to women, she said the need was to identify newer areas in this regard. "For one, the Government released 30 lakh Deepam gas connections. There is a scope for selling equal number of stoves and good number of dealerships, too," she felt.

Relating the State's experience in evolving the DWCRA network, she said the women were diffident in the beginning. "Now, they are confident of even going on foreign jaunts to sell their products in exhibitions there," she said.

Mr M. Samuel, Principal Secretary (Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Government of Andhra Pradseh), called for efforts to make the rural economy vibrant and make it part of the general economy.

Earlier addressing the inaugural session, Mr S.S.R. Koteswara Rao, President of Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, suggested that public-private partnership should be encouraged to evolve a mechanism to insulate rural India from natural calamities.

More Stories on : Rural Development | Gender | Andhra Pradesh

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page