Country marching from women development to women lead development: PM Modi

 New Delhi: Recounting the initiatives taken by the government for women's empowerment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday claimed that the country was marching from 'women's development to women lead development.'

"Our country is marching from women's development to women lead development and this is what our party strongly believes in," said the Prime Minister while addressing the office-bearers and workers of the BJP's Karnataka women's wing through the NaMo App.

Claiming that it has always been their effort to give equal opportunity to women, the Prime Minister said, "Able women have been given important portfolios in our Cabinet."

He further cited the examples of the recent Shanghai Co-operation Organisation summit in China, where, among all male Defense and Foreign Ministers, Sushma Swaraj and Nirmala Sitharaman were the leading women to head India's Foreign and Defense Ministry respectively.

Further speaking about the various women development-centric projects initiated by the BJP, he said, "About nine crore women have benefitted from the MUDRA (a micro-business financing scheme) scheme so far. Under the yojana, 12 crore loans have been allocated out of which more than 70 percent of the beneficiaries are women. They are not only self-employed but are also employing others."

"We increased maternity leave for women to six months. Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana was started, more than 19 thousand crore has been deposited under this scheme. We have organised 4 lakh free health check-ups and free vaccination of nearly 10 lakh women and children were done in Karnataka," he added.

Speaking on the surge in atrocities against women in recent years, the Prime Minister said, "Awareness in the society about atrocities on women and sense of responsibility can help us get rid of social evil. The government has also recently made stringent amendments in laws relating to crimes against women and children, increasing the punishment up to death penalty in some cases."

He further urged the women wing to strive hard for BJP's victory in the upcoming elections in the state and said,"It is important for us to win the Assembly Elections and other elections as well, but the most important battle is that of the polling booths, which can be won by exposing the hollow promises made by Congress. I believe that the most proficient for that purpose are the workers of the Mahila Morcha."