GUWAHATI, Dec 6 - Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday said that without woman empowerment, a country cannot prosper. Only by ensuring the good living condition, social security and economic uplift of the women, a country can aspire to prosper.
The Chief Minister was addressing a conclave organised by the women association of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) on women empowerment at Hotel Taj Resort at the city's Khanapara area.
According to an official press release, the Chief Minister also referred to the emphasis laid on woman empowerment by former Prime Minister of the country Late Rajiv Gandhi and said that the Central Government under his leadership reserved 30 per cent of the seats of the local self-governing bodies for women to facilitate uplift of the women of the rural areas of the country.
The Assam Government has also reserved 50 per cent seats for women in the Panchayats and urban local self-governing bodies, he said.
He claimed that the women of Assam have been making advancement in the areas of education, politics and economic activities. The women of the Northeastern India are more secure, he said.
He further said that the State Government has set up a separate university for the women.
Addressing the function, the Meghalaya Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma, mentioned the steps taken by the Meghalaya Government for the uplift of women. The conclave was also addressed by Chief Minister Gogoi's Economic Advisor Ranjit Barthakur.
Though the organisers had invited all the Chief Ministers of the NE region to the conclave, the Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Tripura could not attend the function due to their preoccupation, said official sources here.
