Selja harps on govt participation for poverty alleviation

Panaji, July 22 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja today called for intensive participation of urban and local governments in efforts for ensuring equality for women to achieve poverty alleviation.

She hinted at constituting a 'women Mayors' forum soon to deal with issues related to socio-politico-economic empowerment of women.

The forum, she said, was intended to establish a network of women mayors in local governments of the country and elsewhere.

She was delivering the keynote address at the inaugural session of the three-day workshop at a five-star beach resort here on 'Promoting gender equality in local government: A strategy workshop on the role of women in local government in Asia'.

It was jointly organised by the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, Commonwealth Secretariat, International Academy on Urban Dynamics and All India Institute for Local Self Government and the UN Habitat.

''The roadmap to success depends on our initiative to build capacity of elected representatives on their potential role so that optimum level of women empowerment is achieved,'' she said.

Dr James Burty David, minister of local government, Mauritius besides deligates from the UK, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Malaysia, India and Bangladesh participated in the seminar.

The workshop earlier unanimously adopted a resolution congratulating Ms Pratibha Patil on her election as the President of India.

UNI