No country can be successful without empowering its women, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday asserted that no country can be successful without empowering its women, adding that financial independence is a must to empower women.

"I am one of the people who are convinced that no country can be successful without empowering its women. If there's one challenge that our country faces, it's precisely the way we treat our women. You can see it in newspapers every single day," Gandhi said at Silver Jubilee Inauguration of Cherukode Women's Cooperative Bank here in Malappuram.

"We can keep saying women are empowered but unless our women are financially empowered, it means nothing. That is where I value what a cooperative bank does. It trains women in how to deal with money. There is no reason why our women should be scared of walking alone at night. I think if this country has to be successful, that is one of the most important things it has to focus on. If you look at empowering women, their financial independence is a foundation of that," he said.

Earlier in the day, in a sharp attack on the Central government, Rahul Gandhi termed that the government's intent to privatise the Railways as a "threat" to millions of poor people who travel in trains.

"Railways are a fundamental part of our country. Railways do not belong to one person, they belong to the whole country. It allows millions of people to travel cheaply...I noticed in the last Budget that the government is intent on privatising this Indian asset," Rahul Gandhi said while addressing a gathering in Malappuram.

"This is a threat to millions of poor people who travel using our Railways. It is also going to create a problem for millions of employees who work for the Railways," the Congress MP added.

( With inputs from ANI )