Prime Highlights-
- Malati Rava Roy pushes public industry partnership to accelerate West Bengal women empowerment.
- MCCI Ladies Forum leads Kolkata session on women leadership, safety, inclusive growth.
Key Facts-
- Women make up 43 percent of India’s STEM graduates, 10 crore plus linked to SHGs under NRLM.
- Women own nearly one-fifth of India’s MSMEs, driving employment and local growth.
Background-
West Bengal Minister of State Malati Rava Roy has called for closer collaboration between the government and industry to speed up women’s empowerment across the state.
She raised the point at a special session organised jointly by the Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the MCCI Ladies Forum at the MCCI Conference Hall in Kolkata.
The Minister, who holds independent charge of the Department of Women & Child Development and Social Welfare, told the gathering of industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and policymakers that lasting social and economic progress depends on women’s active participation across every sector.
She highlighted the state’s push to expand women’s numbers in local self government bodies, while lending support to broader talks on greater legislative representation for women.
She named Self Help Groups as a key tool for strengthening rural women’s economic independence, noting that her department is working with the Department of Panchayat and Rural Development to expand SHG networks statewide.
She also floated extending community based self help models to include men, to widen social participation and support balanced rural development.
She invited government bodies, industry, academia, and civil society to bring forward practical ideas for shaping welfare programmes, adding that the administration would give serious weight to constructive suggestions.
MCCI Ladies Forum Co-Chairperson Shruti Jhajharia called for stronger workplace safety, easier access to finance, and expanded entrepreneurship support for women.
She shared data pointing to women accounting for close to 43 percent of India’s STEM graduates, more than 10 crore women tied to Self Help Groups under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission, and nearly one-fifth of the country’s MSMEs held by women.
Jaspreet Kaur, Director of the JIS Group and a Forum member, delivered the vote of thanks and urged industry and public institutions to partner with MCCI and the government to advance women’s empowerment and inclusive growth in the state.
