‘Attendance of girl students in schools have increased manifold’

Chief Minister Raman Singh on Monday said that whenever girls got opportunities they excelled in their chosen fields.

There was a time when girls were afraid of going around on bicycles and now they are flying fighter planes, he said.

The Chief Minister was addressing a National Workshop on ‘Women MPs and Women Empowerment’ on the premises of Science College here.

Singh said that in 21st Century discrimination between boys and girls is not acceptable. Chhattisgarh State Women's Commission organised the workshop.

The Chief Minister said that the workshop will help in spreading awareness regarding female infanticide, sexual discrimination, women's rights and dowry harassment and other social evils.

 While elaborating the steps taken by State Government to empower women he said that 50 per cent seats had been reserved for women in the three-tier Panchayati Raj system and 56 per cent women had been occupying the seats of power.

Singh said that free education is being provided to girls till graduation. Toilets had been built in all the colleges. Sanitary napkins are being provided in all schools and colleges at subsidised rates to girls.

The attendance of girls' students had increased manifold. Chhattisgarh tops the list of proportion of girls to boys sex ratio. It stands at fourth in the entire country.

Chhattisgarh Assembly Speaker Gaurishankar Agrawal said that the workshop will help spread awareness  among women regarding their representation in elected bodies.

He expressed the hope that MPs will create awareness regarding this in the Parliament. The State Government had taken several steps in empowering women. Education is the best media in empowering women.