He said efforts for women's empowerment shouldn't be restricted only to government initiatives and that society needs to play an active role in promoting gender equality
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced that women are free to retain their maiden names in their passports now on, even after marriage. He said that women will also have the option to include their mothers' names in their passports instead of their fathers' from now on. A single woman, he said, can also apply for a passport without furnishing her marriage or divorce certificate.
Modi was addressing a gathering of the Indian Merchants Chambers' Ladies Wing here through video-conferencing. The event, held at a Mumbai hotel, was attended by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP's Lok Sabha MP Poonam Mahajan.
He said he wanted women to be at the centre of developmental schemes. The Prime Minister emphasised on the need to have more hospitals for pregnant women. A strong votary of women's rights, Modi said that wherever they have been given opportunities, women have outperformed their male counterparts.
He said efforts for women's empowerment shouldn't be restricted only to government initiatives and that society needs to play an active role in promoting gender equality. "That's the way to build a new India," he said.
The coffee-table book showcasing the 50-year journey of the Ladies' Wing of IMC and its many achievements was released by the Chief Minister and a host of other dignitaries. Radhika Nath, President, IMC Ladies' Wing, said: "The Wing was an early attempt to foster creativity and the entrepreneurial spirit within every woman. The theme for this year is SOAR: Rise to your potential."
She underscored the need for women to act on their own behalf to overcome institutional and personal barriers to success.
The Wing's annual event IMPACT has been a platform to award and encourage women entrepreneurs. It endeavours to promote women's contributions to rural entrepreneurship, banking, finance and other diverse fields. "It's an effective way to ensure greater inclusion of women in every walk of life," said Nath.
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