Women empowerment must for nation’s development: Venkaiah

Tirupati: Former Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu said that women empowerment is a must for country’s development and it could be achieved only through a multi-pronged approach.

Speaking at a meeting organised by RASS (Rashtriya Seva Samithi) to celebrate the International Women’s Day here on Tuesday, Venkaiah Naidu said women empowerment increased from 9 per cent to 77 per cent after the Independence. Now various barriers including gender, caste and social discrimination were coming in the way of women achieving 100% empowerment and economic progress. Without women participation, all-round development is not possible, he said.

Venkaiah said that he was elated over RASS providing and extending various schemes for the self-employment of the women to make them stand on their own legs. He further said the vision of Gandhiji in achieving Grama Swarajyam is the only way to completely eradicate various forms of discrimination.

Venkaiah recalled his association with RASS founder secretary and Padma Shri awardee Muni Rathnam and added that his nephew S Venkata Ratnam who became the secretary after Muni Rathnam died, was doing well in running RASS organisation and effectively implementing many schemes for women, aged people, youth and differently abled. Earlier, two minutes silence was observed as a mark of respect to Muni Ratnam.