Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday said India’s approach to governance and policymaking had evolved from “women’s development” to “women-led development”, while interacting with a delegation of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus of Sri Lanka at Parliament House.
The delegation was led by Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Women and Child Affairs.
Birla said India and Sri Lanka shared deep civilisational, cultural and spiritual ties rooted in centuries-old connections and a common Buddhist heritage, which continued to shape warm bilateral relations between the two countries.
Referring to increasing parliamentary engagements between the neighbours, Birla recalled his recent interaction with a Sri Lankan parliamentary delegation led by S. M. Marikkar and said regular dialogue between lawmakers had strengthened mutual understanding and inter-parliamentary cooperation.
Highlighting the growing participation of women in India’s democratic framework, Birla said women were now playing active roles across governance, policymaking and leadership. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi believed societies become more inclusive and sustainable when women lead development.
Birla also referred to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, the legislation providing 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, describing it as a landmark step towards greater participation of women in legislative processes.
He said several Indian states had implemented 50 per cent reservation for women in local self-government institutions, resulting in more than 1.4 million elected women representatives serving in Panchayats and urban local bodies across the country.
On economic empowerment, the Lok Sabha Speaker highlighted the role of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in helping women achieve financial independence and referred to the Centre’s Lakhpati Didi scheme as an important initiative supporting women-led entrepreneurship in rural India.
Speaking on the occasion, Paulraj thanked India for its support to Sri Lanka during difficult periods, including the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters such as Cyclone Ditwa. She said the visit had helped the Sri Lankan delegation gain deeper insights into India’s initiatives related to SHGs, women entrepreneurship and digital commerce.
