The Kerala government’s Gender Park in Kozhikode will become functional from next month, coinciding with the second edition of the International Conference on Gender Equality (ICGE-II), State Health, Social Justice and Women and Child Development Minister KK Shailaja said.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the February 11-13 IGCE-II and the Gender Park. He will also lay the foundation of the International Women’s Trade and Research Centre (IWTRC) that envisages a secure and sustained ecosystem for women entrepreneurs and a space for them to market products.

The valedictory ceremony will be inaugurated by Kerala Finance Minister TM Thomas Isaac. It will see the announcement of a policy draft based on the highlights of the entire sessions at ICGE-II.

The high-profile event will see the launch of a Gender Museum, Gender Library, Convention Centre and an Amphitheatre. These four facilities will form the first phase of the Gender Park that works towards gender equality in the State, Shailaja told a press conference.

Economic power

ICGE-II will explore measures to boost the economic potential of women and transgender persons so as to equip them as sustainable entrepreneurs. With ‘Gender in Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Social Business: The Mediating Role of Empowerment’ as the focal theme, the event at the Park’s sprawling campus is being organised in association with the UN Women which is part of the United Nations.

The Health Minister said ICGE-II will function as a platform to anticipate the challenges in a post-pandemic world and share the present experiences of women across continents. “Women in Kerala have high education but no proportional representation in employment,” she noted. “That paradox adds to the relevance of the upcoming summit.”

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