Sanskar is as important as education: Mission Shakti CEO Mansi Nimbhal

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha has been able to break the barriers, be it social or economical, that women in rural parts of the state faced earlier, said Mission Shakti department CEO Mansi Nimbhal.

Speaking at a conclave on ‘women-led development’ at the W20 & 3rd FLO Odisha Women’s Awards on Tuesday, Nimbhal said women in Odisha mostly live in the rural areas and face different challenges compared to women living in urban areas, the biggest being engagement.

“And by engagement, I not only mean economic engagement but also meaningful engagement. Generally, women in villages do not find income opportunities where they can meaningfully engage themselves. But here in Odisha, we have been able to create a movement where women are economically and socially empowered to create an identity for themselves,” she said.

Urging people to employ women with disabilities in different sectors, IT in particular, academician Asha Hans, who has been working in the disability sector for the last 20 years, said such women face several challenges as compared to men with disabilities.

“Although some change has taken place in the last one decade, there is a long way to go and hopefully, forums like W20 will ensure women with disabilities are a part of mainstream development,” she said.
Speaking about women and law on the occasion, SC lawyer Bansuri Swaraj said there are enough laws for women in India. “But the problem arises when it comes to implementation.

There are three things - awareness, sensitisation and responsibility,” she said, adding that at the grassroots-level, women need to be made aware about their rights in every sector including law. When it comes to sensitisation, the investigating agencies, police and judiciary need to be sensitised on laws pertaining to women, Swaraj said. Stating that ‘sanskar is as important as education’, she added that the responsibility of sensitising boys on women and their safety lies on mothers. “We need to sensitise our boys just like we sensitise our girls about their rights and safety,” Swaraj said.

The conclave was moderated by CS Sunita Mohanty.