Bhubaneswar : I am delighted to announce launching of the first FLO Odisha Women’s Awards instituted to acknowledge and award the women achievers of Odisha .
My hearty Congratulations to all the awardees.
You are the role models for many young women of our state and your work is an inspiration for them.
In this context, I remember Biju Babu; we celebrated his birthday yesterday.
Biju Babu, all through his life, championed the cause of women empowerment in India.
In Odisha, he
Reposed faith on women to run Panchayati Raj Institutions.
He envisioned women leaders in every sphere of society.
Today we are much ahead in women empowerment.
In fact, the empowerment model for women in the state is one amongst the best in the country.
My government has always been a champion of the cause of women empowerment.
Mission Shakti, one of the key initiatives of our empowerment model, has successfully brought over eight million women from the four walls of family to socio-economic vibrancy.
The rural women in Odisha are, now, increasingly becoming a major contributor to our growing economy.
I am also glad that with initiatives like Make-in-Odisha, Start-Up Odisha and Skilled-in-Odisha, more and more women in Odisha are coming to entrepreneurship.
Our women have also been achieving great feats in national and international sports.
Furthermore, we became the first state in the country to walk the talk and resolved in State Assembly to allocate 33 percent of seats in the Parliament and State Legislative Assembly last year.
Since 2011, Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies in State are represented by over 50 percent women.
I thank the FICCI-FLO for its endeavour to encourage and facilitate women to showcase their talents, skills and energy at the grassroots, middle and senior levels, for an inclusive economic growth trajectory.
I also congratulate Ms Dharitri Patnaik, Chairperson of FLO Bhubaneswar and her team for the efforts in women empowerment.
I am also pleased to release the Policy Brief on Women Entrepreneurship in Odisha and I assure you all that my government will continue to ensure women in Odisha have the best possible supporting policies and programmes to be successful in the various sectors.
National president FICCI FLO Ms Janhavi Phookan and state president Ms Dharitri patnaik also spoke on the occasion