PM Modi highlighted gender equality's importance through campaigns like 'Beti Bachao': Indian envoy to UN - The Free Media

India’s Permanent Representative to UN Ruchira Kamboj on Friday said that PM Modi’s leadership has been instrumental in highlighting the importance of gender equality, women empowerment through impactful campaigns such as ‘Beti Bachao’, ‘Beti Padao’.

“The ancient civilizational values and cultural ethos of India have taught us to recognise gender equality and the empowerment of women as one of the key tenants of our society,” the Permanent Representative to the UN said at CSW67 Side Event “A World We Women and Girls Want: Technology Enabled Social and Economic Advancement”.

“We are also guided by the leadership of our prime minister who has been instrumental in highlighting the importance of these issued through impactful campaigns such as ‘Beti Bachao’, ‘Beti Padao’. “In the last nine years, programmes like ‘Digital India’ and the ‘MyGov’ platform have become phenomenal success stories in creating a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy in India,” Kamboj said at the event.

She also stated that the Indian government has launched a slew of citizen-centric digital initiatives, with a particular emphasis on increasing women’s access to finance, credit, technology, and employment.

According to her, these initiatives have focused on providing significant assistance to women in need, preventing violence against women, and promoting women’s equal participation in all spheres of society.

“The government of India has opened bank accounts,” Kamboj said. Over 482 million people had bank accounts, with women accounting for more than 55% of account holders. This initiative aided in the direct transfer of benefits to nearly 200 million women during the COVID pandemic.”

Meanwhile, India recently slammed Pakistan over raising the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at a Security Council debate on women, peace and security and said that it is unworthy to respond to such “malicious and false propaganda”.

“Let me dismiss the frivolous, baseless, and politically motivated remarks made by the delegate of Pakistan regarding the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” Kamboj said in a statement to the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday. My delegation believes it is unworthy to even respond to such malicious and false propaganda. Rather, our focus will always be positive and forward-looking.”

“Today’s discussion is critically important to strengthen our collective efforts to accelerate the full implementation of the women’s peace and security agenda. We respect the subject of the debate and understand the value of time. As a result, our focus will remain on the topic,” she added.

This statement came after Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari mentioned Jammu and Kashmir during the Council debate.

In her UNSC speech, Kamboj stated that terrorist violence against women and girls is still prevalent and should be strongly condemned, while also advocating for a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of terrorism.