Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today stressed upon the need of skill development among women and welcomed the decision of Union Government to provide 50% reservation to women in Panchayats.

The Chief Minister said after launching Post Graduate Course (Face to Face) in Gender and Development Studies in IGNOU. She also inaugurated a Friday Seminar Series on ‘Women in Power’. Dikshit presented course material to the students of new course on this occasion. Rajya Sabha MP Brinda Karat also expressed her views. Acting VC Dr. D.K. Chaudhary presided over the function. IGNOU has earned a special recognition as it has enrolled 2.5 million students across the country.

Dikshit expressed her pleasure to be associated with IGNOU, which is starting a new PG Course and Friday Lecture Series with an aim to highlight gender issues. Smt. Dikshit referred to a report of International Labour Organization (ILO), which reveals that women are doing 76% of total work being done in the world and they are holding just 0.01% of the assets. Their contribution has not been really evaluated. The women have started getting out of her housewives role and have risen to important positions. Our constitution granted equal adult franchise and equal pay to women without any demand being raised by any Women Organization. In few European countries, even today, the women have been receiving less salary than men.

Dikshit further stated that there is a need of change in mindset. There was a big gender imbalance in Delhi which has improved after implementation of ‘Laadli’ scheme. In 2008, 1004 girl births were registered against 1000 boy births in Delhi. The Stree Shakti Programme and Gender Resource Centre (GRC) have provided an opportunity to vulnerable women to become self-reliant. The GRCs have been able to impart useful training to around five lakh women. Our Mission Convergence Program is a step forward in this direction as vulnerable sections of the society are being offered different benefits through Single Window Service.

There have been exceptional women leaders in India since history. They have been able to mould the future of our country and are recognized as icons. The Freedom Movement in India has brought forward women in large numbers who fought shoulder to shoulder with men. In present times there have been women leaders in the national level, but there are also hundreds and thousands of women leaders who are emerging as grassroots leaders. Women in India are today becoming leaders in the Corporate space, in Bureaucracy, as Doctors, Lawyers, Police women and even in the armed forces. This is an encouraging picture.