Washington [US]: Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday (local time) participated in a panel discussion on ‘Empowering Women as Entrepreneurs and Leaders’ in Washington DC. The panel included David Malpass, president of World Bank Group and David Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs.
Sitharaman, who is on a week-long visit to the US, outlined initiatives to bolster the economic status of women during the IMF/World Bank Spring meetings. She appeared to highlight how the Modi Govt has been working with the idea of women-led development and not just women-centric development.
“Since 2014, PM Modi has emphasised that we need to have ‘women-led’ development for India instead of just having ‘women-centric’ development. He ensured that zero-balance accounts (Jan-Dhan accounts) were opened for every Indian,” Sitaraman informed an audience of hundreds.
Sitaraman also pointed out various initiatives taken by the Govt of India for women’s empowerment, enhancing their economic independence and their outcomes. World Bank President David Malpass pledged to focus more intensely on women’s empowerment, citing the huge potential for economic gains for all countries.
“Starting a business is a powerful tool for women to build a better future. Enabling access to finance, skills and digital technology is key,” Malpass told a packed audience.