On I-Day, PM Modi says determined to provide equal employment opportunities to women

“Whenever women received an opportunity, they made India proud and strengthened the country. Today, the nation is determined to provide equal opportunities for self-employment and employment to them,” PM Modi said from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

“Today, women are working in underground coal mines as well as touching the sky while flying fighter aircraft. India is now among those countries where women are being recruited in Navy and Air Force combat operations,” he added.

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Talking about Jan Dhan accounts, PM Modi said of the 40 crore accounts opened in the country, at least 22 crore were women account holders. He added about Rs 30,000 crore had been disbursed to these accounts during to the pandemic.

PM Modi also announced that the government has set up a committee to reconsider the minimum age for marriage of girls. “We have set up a committee to reconsider the minimum age for marriage of our daughters. We will take appropriate decision after the committee submits its report,” he said.

“Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, most registrations are under the name of women to get a house for themselves,” he said.

PM Modi said the government has started giving away sanitary napkins to the women of the poor class at Re 1 to empower them and keep their health in a check under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendra scheme. “Under the Jan Aushadhi Kendras, we have provided sanitary napkins. In 6,000 Jan Aushadi Kendras, more than 5 crore sanitary napkins have been provided to the women of this class,” he said.