Badal's wife launches women empowerment campaign

Chandigarh, June 22 ( UNI) Ms Surinder Kaur Badal, wife of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, has launched a mass awareness campaign for the empowerment of women in Punjab.

While presiding over a meeting on women empowerment here today, Ms Badal said a non-political forum would be evolved at the state and national level to execute the strategies meant for the welfare of women. she said to generate awakening among them about their rights and duties, state and national levels Seminars and group discussions would also be organised regularly.

Addressing a huge gathering of prominent women from all over the state, she expressed concern over the declining sex ratio in the state. Referring to the menace of female foeticide, she said that it should be considered as the worst kind of crime in the society and the guilty should be punished under stringent laws.

Punjab Education Minister Dr Upinderjit Kaur, while listing down the priorities of the state government towards women said that Adarsh schools to be opened in each block where 50 per cent seats would be kept reserved for girl students. She emphasized the need to make the women self reliant. She however said that the mindset of males should be changed to accept women economically, socially and politically independent.

Dr Pam Rajput, a pioneer in the field of women studies, suggested to form "Rahat Committees" for the welfare of women and child in the state.

Dr Rajput termed Ms Badal's initiative, to motivate women all over the state, as the first of its kind. She also said that NGOs', religious leaders and other voluntary organisations should be involved in the task of checking the increasing crime against women.

She also suggested setting up of Gender Budgeting Cells in the government to educate women.

UNI