In line with the government's commitment to enhancing "nari shakti" and women-led development, the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Ministry of Labour and Employment jointly organized the "Saksham Nari Sakshat Bharat–Women in the Workforce for a Viksit Bharat" event on Tuesday at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
The event, aimed at promoting gender equality and increasing women's workforce participation, brought together key stakeholders from government ministries, industry organizations, and UN agencies to chart a path for women-led development through a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach.
Chaired by Smriti Irani, Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs, and Bhupender Yadav, Minister for Labour and Employment, the event witnessed the presence of Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai, Minister of State, Ministry of Women and Child Development and AYUSH.
Representatives from various ministries including Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and Ministry of Education, along with industry organizations such as Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and UN agencies UNICEF, UN Women, and ILO were also in attendance.
The event, which garnered over 2.5 lakh participants via webcast, saw significant initiatives being announced to promote women's workforce participation and empowerment.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment released an advisory aimed at promoting gender equality and women's workforce participation. Additionally, advisories for women workforce participation and safety in the building, construction, and highways sectors were issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Another significant release was the National Minimum Standards and Protocol for Creches (Operation and Management) by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, aimed at providing guidelines for setting up creches across various organizations.
Minister Irani highlighted key features of the guidelines and applauded the initiative of the Ministry of Labour and Employment in ensuring direct payment to women construction workers through their bank accounts, thereby eliminating exploitation.
Underlining the government's digital empowerment initiatives, Irani emphasized the importance of providing facilities to migrant women workers and highlighted the success of schemes like POSHAN and the provision of 26 weeks of maternity leave for building and construction workers.
The event witnessed the proposal to the Ministry of Education for supporting central universities in building hostels for women pursuing higher studies and working, with seven universities already submitting their proposals.
Corporate giants including Hindustan Unilever, Aditya Birla Capital, Pernod Ricard, Randstad, Saint Gobain, and Tata Chemicals also showcased their best practices in fostering gender-inclusive workspaces, reaffirming their commitment to gender diversity in the workforce.
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