Irani nudges corporate to adopt more women-friendly policies

Mumbai: Union minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday pointed out that challenges before the government lies in getting corporate India implement the laws specially enacted for women and children.

Government has taken various initiatives and introduced laws for the safety of women and children so that they get justice faster, the minister noted.

"The real challenge is actually bridging government policies with those of companies so that we collectively deliver the benefits of the laws to women at large," she told a Bloomberg event here. Irani, who heads the textile ministry, said government has been taking initiatives towards better childcare as well pointed to the enhanced maternity/paternity leaves.

"Companies need ensure that women do not feel left out especially in areas where they feel they can be promoted to the next level," she said, adding government has not just codified the labour laws but has also ensured that laws make women feel secured in their workplaces in both in the organised as well as unorganised sectors.

Noting that woman and child security is not an issue of a particular country, she said the government has passed laws to protect children from sexual offences.

"For the first time, we have brought a law where child pornography, especially in the online space, is dealt with seriously," she added.

Irani further said the only issue on which political parties of all hues have one view is regarding women and children, and as a result, the country could move, especially in the past five years, to a women-led development model from women's development.

"One of the biggest challenges in having enhanced economic participation of women was access to credit. Today we have 370 million new accounts of which 199 million are of women. We had also started a loan scheme under Mudra where women get loans without collaterals. Of the 200 million loans given 70 percent were to women," she said.