UN Women: Executive Director’s visit to India generates momentum for women’s political participation and economic empowerment
Source:
At the village assembly meeting or Gram Sabha in Barrod village of Rajasthan’s Alwar district on 5 October, almost 5000 men and women gathered to promote the rights of girls and education for all. The Barrod village assembly announced a special cash transfer scheme for the first-born girl in families, rewarding them with a bank deposit of Rs. 1100, to mature only after the girl turns 20.
“Girls are an important fabric of society — without them we are nothing. Without them, we don’t have mothers, daughters or sisters,” said Manjulata Sharma whose granddaughter is one of beneficiaries of this new scheme.
To launch the scheme, the Gram Sabha had a special guest — UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet.
To Manjulata and others, Ms. Bachelet’s message was simple: “The Gram Sabha is the cornerstone of this great venture of equality and democracy. If you use it and succeed, you will change India and the world for the better — and the change will be felt now and for generations to come.”
Read more at UN Women, published 8 October 2012.
At the village assembly meeting or Gram Sabha in Barrod village of Rajasthan’s Alwar district on 5 October, almost 5000 men and women gathered to promote the rights of girls and education for all. The Barrod village assembly announced a special cash transfer scheme for the first-born girl in families, rewarding them with a bank deposit of Rs. 1100, to mature only after the girl turns 20.
“Girls are an important fabric of society — without them we are nothing. Without them, we don’t have mothers, daughters or sisters,” said Manjulata Sharma whose granddaughter is one of beneficiaries of this new scheme.
To launch the scheme, the Gram Sabha had a special guest — UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet.
To Manjulata and others, Ms. Bachelet’s message was simple: “The Gram Sabha is the cornerstone of this great venture of equality and democracy. If you use it and succeed, you will change India and the world for the better — and the change will be felt now and for generations to come.”
Read more at UN Women, published 8 October 2012.