Patnaik approves creation of Mission Shakti dept to promote women empowerment

To promote the idea of women empowerment, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday approved the creation Mission Shakti Department in the state.

"A momentous occasion in the transformative journey of 'Mission Shakti', which started as a scheme now becomes a department to carry forward the revolution with greater focus. #MissionShakti is now synonymous with women's empowerment, transforming lives of millions," tweeted the Chief Minister.

Today, while addressing a gathering at FICCI-FLO's Odisha Women's award ceremony, Chief Minister Patnaik said: "I remember Biju Babu (former CM Biju Patnaik). We celebrated his birthday yesterday. Biju Babu, all through his life, championed the cause of women empowerment in India. In Odisha, he reposed faith in 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's 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," said the Chief Minister.

"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 of women," Patnaik said.

In February 2019, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women) lauded the Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha government for the women's reservation proposal.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the UN Women had said: "We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the support extended by your government in the implementation of the joint programme between UN Women & the Panchayati Raj Department, Govt of Odisha to promote Gender Responsive Governance in the state."

( With inputs from ANI )