The international event of Women Parliamentarians of BRICS nations has been concluded on Sunday, August 21st, 2016, with a constructive outlook of all the nations towards sustained economic growth and environmental protection. They concluded the event by adopting the ‘Jaipur Declaration’ with a commitment to work together in the field of development and progress with mutual cooperation. The two-day event was organized in Jaipur, Rajasthan attended by the women Parliamentarians of all the five member countries of BRICS, i.e. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The valedictory speech of the event was given by the Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. The conclusion of the Forum was held at the Sapphire Convention Hall, Marriott Hotel Jaipur followed by a cultural evening organized at Birla Auditorium in the honor of the women delegates of BRICS nations. The event was attended by Governor Kalyan Singh, Lok Sabha speaker Mrs. Sumitra Mahajan, Chief Minister Smt. Vasundhara Raje and various other national and international dignitaries.
CM Vasundhara Raje’s approach towards the entire event was very progressive and constructive focusing on women empowerment. Her main agenda was to highlight the significance of women in the development path. She conveyed her opinion strongly in front of the Forum organized with ‘Women Parliamentarians: Enablers for achieving SDGs’ theme, explaining the fact that women are not rivals of men in the 21st century; rather will always compliment them in achieving success in every field. Chief Minister Raje stated that it is the need of the hour that the entire world recognizes the women power and starts considering their strengths. She said, “I am proud to inform you that in Rajasthan, half of the elected representatives are women and they also are managers of change.” Men and women are not rivals; instead, they are two faces of the same coin on the path of progress and understand that together they can bring exceptional changes in the society. Also, she described the importance of Parliaments as the ultimate law making and oversight institutions. Their role is undeniably crucial in the legal functioning of any nation.
If 43% of world population having 37% of world GDP and 17% share in the world trade come together, imagine the possibilities! #BRICS
— Vasundhara Raje (@VasundharaBJP) August 21, 2016
And when we do it – it is going to bridge the differences no one has been able to bridge so far. #BRICS #WomenLeaders #TogetherWeCan — Vasundhara Raje (@VasundharaBJP) August 21, 2016
When we add cooperation and participation to the mix, we have the recipe for success. I am confident that us Women Leaders can do it. #BRICS
— Vasundhara Raje (@VasundharaBJP) August 21, 2016
As said by Vasundhara Raje, the development of Rajasthan and change in the outlook of society towards women is very inspirational. All the hard work of Vasundhara Raje and her team has resulted into the empowerment of women in different sectors as now they are not only confined to the Tourism and Women and Child Empowerment Departments, rather they are conquering the tough challenges of Finance fields as well. She quoted the example of Rajasthan and specified that other than reservations in the local bodies, the women of Rajasthan are becoming nervy and have started participating in the dominant policy-making roles.
She also praised the increasing interest and participation of youth and women in the politics of Rajasthan. This is the result of fixing the minimum qualification requirement for election candidates regarding various Government posts in Rajasthan. It turned out to be a fruitful initiative by Vasundhara Raje as educated public representatives will play a crucial role in effectively implementing all the Government Schemes at the ground level.
Addressed the valedictory Session of the #BRICS Women Parliamentarian Forum at Jaipur today. pic.twitter.com/yRE6ucNQpu
— Vasundhara Raje (@VasundharaBJP) August 21, 2016
CM Raje is adamant to transform Rajasthan into a developed state and thus set the example of Western Countries as a benchmark. She said that the women of Western and European countries are financially independent but Indian Women are yet not economically empowered. Thus, Rajasthan Government took an initiative and became the first state in the country working towards the financial empowerment of women and thus, introduced BHAMASHAH project in 2007 as country’s first financial inclusion program. Under the scheme, the women would be taken as the head of a family for making the BHAMASHAH card so that they will be able to receive all the grants and funds declared by the Government directly into their Bank accounts without any delay.
She laid emphasis on the overall development of girl child and therefore initiated various Government schemes including Rajshree Yojna. The Rajasthan Government also directed the banks to help women NGOs by providing them financial aid on their level. She said, “We have schemes targeting the girl child, adolescent girls & women, catering to their education, sanitation & health needs.”
She also specified that Rajasthan is basically a desert state, where water availability has always been a problem. Raje Government has worked tremendously well in starting a campaign at a mass level for finding a long-term solution to this problem through introducing “Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyaan (MJSA)”. She was excited to announce that the campaign has connected people and authorities on the ground level and turning into a mass success. Under the scheme, all the sections of society came together and constructed water harvesting plants in over 4000 villages.
Addressing the Parliamentarians of BRICS nations, she said, “BRICS Nations constitute 43% of the world’s total population. These nations face same challenges of development along with equivalent hopes and aspirations of their people. Mutual and cooperative efforts are required by all to cope with poverty. For the growth and development of our citizens, it is necessary that we work together towards a brighter future and share our experiences for improving the standard of living of our citizens. All this is possible by the combined efforts of BRICS nations and then the world could be transformed. To achieve this, it is significant that the development processes are sustainable.”
World is a divided place. It’s time the #BRICS member countries present a united front before the world – work towards common goals.
— Vasundhara Raje (@VasundharaBJP) August 21, 2016
Vasundhara Raje said, “Concerted action by all nations on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) saw improvement in living conditions and development indices, the world over. However, the pace of change remained sub-optimal, calling for a rethink. The MDGs, through a process of development cooperation, were replaced by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals are expected to be action-oriented, easy to communicate and universally applicable to all nations.”
She sought the event as a hope and urged all the women parliamentarians to work together towards attaining the developmental goals of all nations. Also, she prompted all the participants to invest all efforts and force for fulfilling the terms of Jaipur Declaration, signed in this event, collectively. “We member nations of BRICS, together represent a significant majority of the world’s population and production. Regional imbalances in resource distribution, climate, and development indices are features common to us. Our people share similar aspirations. Our development challenges are similar. If we are to secure the future of our citizens, it is imperative that we cooperate, learn from each other and share best practices,” she added. She expressed her gratitude towards Lok Sabha speaker Smt. Sumitra Mahajan for imparting Jaipur the opportunity to host this event. She concluded saying, “The role of BRICS Woman Parliamentarians in policy formulation, implementation and monitoring for effective and timely achievement of the SDGs, is undeniable. The way forward is learning through experience sharing and experimentation. The experience and knowledge of members of this forum is a force to reckon with and it would be remiss of us if we do not effectively use our skills and capabilities.”
The event concluded in the gracious presence of Chairman of the Provincial Council of South Africa TR Modise, Vice-president of Russia’s Council of Federation Gallina Karelova, Head of Brazilian delegation Prof. Dorina Sebra Rejende, Head of Chinese delegation Ms. Wayne Maa, Lok Sabha Secretary General Anoop Mishra, Minister of Public Health Engineering Kiran Maheshwari, Tourism Minister of state Krishnendra Kaur Dipa, and, Women and child Development minister Anita Bhdel, including various other representatives from BRICS nations.
