‘Lakshmir Bhandar benefitted about 1.9 crore women across Bengal every month’

KOLKATA: The state government is focusing on social protection and women empowerment with utmost priority through various schemes that are in place, the state Women and Child Development and Social Welfare minister Shashi Panja said at the third edition of Leaderpreneurship Conclave in Kolkata on Friday.

After two years of virtual editions, the Conclave organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) IWN with the theme- ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow’ was organised. During her inaugural speech, Panja, who is also the state minister for Industries, Commerce and Enterprises emphasised that the engagement of the private sector is important to make Bengal gender diverse and help women employees grow to scale.

Panja also stressed that a commensurate improvement in the ESG Policy would make bottom-line business sense and thus gender diversity can be achieved in true sense. Panja also emphasised on the need to have a compliant atmosphere for women to work. She gave the example of the women who make jewellery at the banks in Haldia.

She elaborated that for them a compliant work atmosphere would be menstrual hygiene and accessibility to toilets at the workplace.

A list of dignitaries, including Principal Secretary of state Women and Child Development Sanghamitra Ghosh, Managing Director and CEO of Exide Industries Limited Subir Chakraborty, Vice-Chairman of CII West Bengal State Council Sucharita Basu and Chairperson of CII Sriranjani Joshi amongst others were also present.

In her address, Ghosh spoke elaborately on the state government initiatives and that the state government has prioritised the development of women and child at the forefront through facilitating supplementary nutrition and early child education through 1, 19, 481 anganwadi centers to 14 lakh mothers and 70 lakh children.

Ghosh also mentioned that Lakshmir Bhandar, which is the biggest social protection programme in terms of financial inclusion across the country has benefitted 1.9 crore women across the state every month. Ghosh also elaborated on the strategies of the state government engaging the private stakeholders in terms of implementing Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS).

A report titled “Thought Leadership on Gender Diversity through ESG frameworks in India’’ was also released during the programme.