New Delhi, March 8 (IANS) Speakers at the National Convention of Women, ‘Bharati – Nari to Narayani’, emphasised the need to promote female-led development rooted in Indian values while calling for actionable plans to empower women across the country.

Speaking to IANS, Dr Leena Rahane, a professor at an engineering college, said the idea of ‘Nari Se Narayani’ seeks to awaken the dignity and pride of women in the nation.

“Through the idea of ‘Nari Se Narayani’, the dignity and pride of women in the nation are awakened. The message reflects the ancient prayer: ‘Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya, Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya’ — lead us from darkness to light and from mortality to immortality. There is a strong need to emphasise how India’s development can be driven by women-led development,” she said.

Surekha Dangwal, Vice Chancellor of Doon University, described the convention as a meaningful platform for discussions on women’s empowerment rooted in the Indian ethos.

“It was a very enriching experience. There was a meaningful discussion on how the tools available for Indian women to access opportunities cannot be Western in nature and cannot simply be feminism. Many people shared their views on our Indian ethos and identity,” she said.

Dr Tripta Thakur, Vice Chancellor of Uttarakhand Technical University, highlighted the traditional Indian perspective on gender equality.

“In our Indian culture, women have never been considered inferior to men, because we belong to a tradition where the concept of Ardhanarishwar was envisioned,” she said.

Venita Sahay, Director of IIM Bodh Gaya, stressed the importance of focusing on opportunities and outcomes.

“I have a slightly different view because I believe that whatever we focus on expands. So, we should talk more about opportunities. We should have conversations around creativity, outputs and results,” she said.

Neeta Chaturvedi, Executive Group Director of Ashkom Media Pvt Ltd, emphasised the need to move beyond discussions and focus on implementation.

“Beyond the papers and the boundary walls of this hall, I would say that an actionable plan should be prepared on paper and then implemented,” she said.

Reeva Sood, an agribusiness entrepreneur working with women farmers in Himachal Pradesh, said she was proud to be part of the programme and stressed the need for greater efforts in rural areas.

“I am very proud to be a part of this programme. Our blueprints are very good, but we need to work even harder to help our sisters in rural areas move forward,” she said.

The convention brought together women leaders, academicians, entrepreneurs and policymakers to deliberate on the role of women in nation-building and the vision of transforming Nari into Narayani through empowerment and leadership.

–IANS

sn/uk