Srinagar, Jul 6 (NVI): Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday said women’s empowerment is essential for building a developed Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that the progress of women is directly linked to the progress of society.
Addressing a felicitation ceremony of Gender Equity Advocates in Srinagar, Sinha said women have historically played a vital role in preserving the social fabric of Kashmir and contributed significantly to the region’s social, cultural and spiritual legacy.
He said he envisioned a Jammu and Kashmir where women lead in education, industry, entrepreneurship, governance and public policymaking, and where every girl grows up believing her aspirations have equal value and opportunity.
The Lieutenant Governor expressed confidence that women’s political participation would increase significantly in the coming years, saying the country has created an enabling environment for greater representation of women in electoral politics.
Highlighting government initiatives aimed at strengthening women’s economic independence, Sinha referred to schemes such as Hausla, Mumkin, Rise Together, Umeed, DGP Sakhi and Krishi Sakhi.
He also noted that female students have consistently outperformed their male counterparts in higher education, with women securing nearly 70 to 75 per cent of university gold medals.
Calling for collective efforts to promote gender equality, Sinha urged young people and men to actively support women’s leadership, saying the responsibility of empowering women cannot rest on women alone.(NVI)
