Stressing to facilitate start-ups of women, President Kovind addresses FICCI Ladies Organisation

New Delhi, April 5: Stressing the need to push harder the need to ensure proper working opportunities and atmosphere to the working women, President Ram Nath Kovind addressed the 34th annual session of FICCI Ladies Organisation in New Delhi today.

 

President Ram Nath Kovind has said that if more women become part of the workforce, both household incomes and the GDP will rise and India can become a more prosperous nation. In business and commerce, it is regrettable that women have not been given their due. He said, there is a need to take the magic of entrepreneurship to and facilitate the start-ups of women at the bottom of the pyramid.

He further mentioned that the government, civic societies and business organizations have been striving hard to create an arena of working atmosphere which will be beneficial for all working people specially women.

Highlighting the contribution of women in the society, President Kovind further stated that women constitute half our country. They contribute to our economy at work and at home, in many diverse ways. They are the sheet-anchor of our society. Yet, when it comes to business and commerce, it is regrettable that women have not been given their due.

 

"We need to create conditions for more and more of our daughters and sisters to come into the workforce. We need to push harder to ensure appropriate, encouraging and safe conditions at home, in society and at the work-place to enhance the percentage of working women," Kovind said.

He stated that the corporate sector must take determined steps towards creating women-friendly and gender-sensitive supply chains to empower women in our economy, rather than just accommodate them. 

Further he emphasized that the number of women CEOs and MDs has risen to over 20%. A decade ago, this was just about 10%. Globally Fortune 500 companies account for only 3% of women CEOs. In India 11 % of companies have women in such leadership roles.

 

The President said that if more women become part of the workforce, both household incomes and our GDP will rise. We will become a more prosperous nation. Much greater than that, we will become a more equal society, he said.

 

Author-entrepreneur Twinkle Khanna, producer Ekta Kapoor and scientist Tessy Thomas are among the nine extraordinary women achievers who received the FLO Icon award at a function graced by the President here.