Hello, my name is Nethra Mohandass, Goodwill Ambassador for the Poor, for UNADAP CSO.

 

This is my first participation at a United Nations conference being held at the UN Head Quarters in New York. Due to the COVID situation, I’m participating via the UN online platform, from Madurai, India.

 

I’m attending the MULTI-STAKEHOLDER HEARING  on

“Accelerating the realization of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.”

 

It is my view that young women and girls are given more opportunities to let their light shine in the midst of the darkness that is around us. The Prime Minister of India as led the way for other nations to do so by implementing programs and schemes for women, such as -  Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme to push for women’s education. The saying goes, “You educate a woman, you educate a generation.”

 

As I quote from sources, it is public knowledge that our…

 

PM Modi has pushed a digital campaign in India, and the country held its first Global Entrepreneurship Summit in 2017 in Hyderabad. The theme of the summit which had over 1600 delegates was chosen to be ‘Women First, Prosperity For All’. Of the 1600 delegates, he was resolute to have 52% women. The event had women investors, entrepreneurs, and business professionals come together under one roof for two days and gave them the rare opportunity to network, find mentors and share challenges. This got Indian startups and women entrepreneurs global spotlight. Ivana Trump was the special guest.

 

In a bid to mark the 70th birth anniversary of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018 launched the Tamil Nadu government’s Amma scooter scheme and a massive tree plantation programme. It claimed to give scooters at subsidised rates to over one lakh working women.

 

There are many more initiatives taken my Indian government, such as Maternity leave up to 26 weeks from the previous 12 weeks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018 dedicated homes to women in Gujarat as a Raksha Bandhan gift. He said that the 1.15 lakh homes built in different places under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana were a Rakhi gift to the beneficiary women. 

 

And finally, to empower women and deliver them from patriarchy, In 2018, Modi government removed the discriminatory practice wherein Muslim women were allowed to travel for Haj only when there was a male guardian accompanying them. Ministry of minority affairs issued corrective measures and amended this restriction by phasing out a tradition that had been in practice for the past 70 years.

 

I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a delegate at this UN conference and thank my mentor, Ms. Mercy for the guidance and the Executive Director of UNADAP, Dr. Dixon for believing in me. Thank you, stay safe!