WCD Organizing Workshops To Empower Women Journalists To Act As Agents Of Change: Maneka Gandhi

The Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Mrs. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi at the inauguration of the All India Women Journalists’ Workshop, in New Delhi on November 21, 2016. The Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Mrs. Krishna Raj and the Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ms. Leena Nair are also seen.

WCD Ministry Holds Second All India Women Journalists’ Workshop

New Delhi (PIB-GR-TYP-BIN): Over 100 journalists from across the country, representing various media organizations came together on a single platform at the second ‘All India Women Journalists’ Workshop’ organized by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in association with Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in New Delhi on Nov 21. The first ‘All India Women Journalists’ Workshop’ was held in June this year. Today’s workshop was inaugurated by the Minister of Women and Child Development, Mrs. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi. Minister of State, WCD, Mrs. Krishna Raj was also present along with other senior officers of the Ministry.

Women journalists from print, electronic and online media from the length and breadth of the country including small and regional media organizations participated in the conference.

Addressing the journalists, Mrs. Maneka Gandhi said that the workshops are being organized by the Ministry to empower the women journalists so that they can act as agents of change especially in matters pertaining to women and child development. The effort of the Ministry is to connect to the journalists from the grassroots to make them active participants in the process of change, to receive feedback from them and also to receive ideas from the grassroots which will benefit the women and children, the Minister added. Journalists should also try to highlight success stories and find role models to enable the Ministry to give recognition to genuine people, especially to women contributing to community building in the field, she said.

The Minister made a comprehensive presentation on the issues taken up by the WCD Ministry in the last two years. Smt. Gandhi highlighted the numerous ‘firsts’ of the Ministry of Women and Child Development including Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme, setting up of One Stop Centres for women in distress, Mahila e-Haat, panic button on mobiles, guidelines for matrimonial websites, 33% reservation for women in police force, gender champion scheme, unique initiative with railways for missing children, comprehensive adoption reforms, junk food guidelines and many more such initiatives.

The WCD Minister also gave a brief overview of the initiatives in the pipeline like digitisation of anganwadis, direct benefit transfer to women, anti-trafficking Bill, draft National Policy for Women among others. The key focus is to reduce malnutrition for which the WCD Ministry is holding regular consultations with the states on improving the content of food being provided to the children in anganwadis and regular monitoring of their nutrition status, Smt Maneka Gandhi elaborated. The WCD Minister also held a question and answer session with the journalists on issues like child abuse, discrimination against women in various fields especially employment, financial empowerment of women, nutrition, malfunctioning of anganwadis in several states etc.

The Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Mrs. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi at the inauguration of the All India Women Journalists’ Workshop, in New Delhi on November 21, 2016. 

(Source: PIB/GR/TYP/BIN/USPA/WN/IAIJ)