Lucknow, Apr 30 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana on Thursday said that a strong society and meaningful political development are not possible without women’s empowerment.
Addressing a one-day special session of the Assembly convened on the theme of ‘women empowerment’, Mahana said, “A meaningful discussion on women’s empowerment took place in the House. This is not an issue of any one political party but of the entire House and society. All parties should rise above differences and deliberate on it.” He stressed that special provisions are necessary to bring women into the mainstream and cautioned against politicising the issue.
“We are all concerned about the upliftment and betterment of women. There is a need for consensus-driven efforts,” he said.
Referring to history, the Speaker said women in ancient India enjoyed a respected and strong position and participated equally in assemblies and committees.
“In Indian tradition, women held a special place. However, during nearly a thousand years of foreign rule, their position weakened, and they had to retreat to safeguard their dignity,” he said.
Mahana said that in present times, when India is independent and progressing on the path of democracy, it is essential to strengthen this legacy and ensure women’s greater participation in mainstream life.
Highlighting initiatives taken under his tenure, he said efforts have been made to give due importance to women in the House, including dedicating an entire day for proceedings to be conducted by women members and encouraging them to speak.
He added that more provisions should be made to enhance women’s participation in legislative functioning and noted that the idea of dedicating a day of the Assembly to women was proposed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
“This will pave the way for meaningful dialogue in the future, and I hope there will be collective support in enacting necessary laws in this direction,” he said. PTI AR KIS APL APL
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