When the minister for Defense, Nirmala Sitharaman spoke of gender equality, she referred the name Dakshayani Velayudhan. Speaking at a panel discussion at the Global Economic Summit, the minister was asked by John Chambers, the Chairman Emeritus at Cisco Technologies about women empowerment, Sitharaman chose to speak about socially relevant startups and entrepreneurs.
"The [entrepreneurial] trait in Indian women has been always there. Only in the last 60 years, have we adopted a socialist model," said Sitharaman.
Sitharaman commented that women had to find support from either their father or husband for approving collateral while seeking loans. Under the Modi government, schemes such as Mudra helped bridge the need.
She said that in recent times, the Prime Minister has come out openly supporting women who required a collateral for a business idea.The Prime Minister delivered an introductory session at the Global Economic Summit, remembering women warriors such as Rani Laxmi Bai and Ahilya Devi for their bravery. "In Indian mythology, women are an incarnation of Shakti- the Goddess of power and we believe women empowerment is vital to our development," said Modi.
Click here: What PM Modi spoke at GES2017 Conference
Sitharaman also conceded that India was a land of entrepreneurs, and women even those from socially deprived sections rose from this entrepreneurial spirit. Speaking about the former years when entrepreneurial spirit resulted in a social change, she conceded the example of Dakshayini Velayuddhan.
Velayuddhan, was among the 15 women, and the lone Dalit woman among 389 people who congregated on 22 July 1946 from the constituent assembly to draft the Constitution of India. Dakshayini, the wife of Dalit Leader Velayudhan was a Ambedkarite and Gandhian, and vouched for to make article 11, that ruled in favor of making untouchability a punishable law.
Sitharaman conceded contemporary examples such as the Dr. Tessy Thomas, the Director at the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) as prompt examples of entrepreneurial spirit. Dr. Thomas, the Director of DRDO had championed the Indian Mars mission, and is expected to speak at the Global Economic Summit on Wednesday.
Ivanka Trump, US President Donald Trump's daughter and his counsel, and Sibongile Sambo, the Managing Director at SRS Aviation & SRS Petroleum were the other women beside Sitharaman at the panel discussion.
The conference seeks to raise solutions to challenges that women entrepreneurs faced such as access to capital and lack of opportunities. While Ms. Trump suggested that she was optimistic at Smart governance policies bridging the capital flow, Sambo opined that entrepreneurs, especially women must persevere to drive change.
