Have worked extensively to strengthen the Delhi Commission for Women to empower women and make them feel more secure: CM Arvind Kejriwal
Delhi Commission for Women stands tall as an inspirational institution; National Commission for Women should learn how to empower women from DCW: CM Arvind Kejriwal
Delhi has the highest CCTV coverage per square mile in the whole world; no Indian city even comes close to our numbers: CM Arvind Kejriwal
Delhi’s education revolution has enabled girls from weak families to gain confidence and fly high: CM Arvind Kejriwal
One can go around and see how confident girls of Delhi Government Schools have become because of the opportunities they get to express themselves: CM Arvind Kejriwal
Bow down to the Nari Shakti of Delhi on International Women’s Day; their courage and contribution in building this society inspires me to work harder: CM Arvind Kejriwal
CM Arvind Kejriwal awards women from various fields on International Women’s Day
NEW DELHI:
Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal honoured women from various fields on International Women’s Day and recognised their contribution in building the society. He stated — the AAP Government is making sure that women stand on the same pedestal as men, get equal opportunities and security in Delhi. We have worked extensively to strengthen the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) to empower women and make them feel more secure. Delhi Commission for Women stands tall as an inspirational institution; National Commission for Women should learn how to empower women from DCW. Delhi has the highest CCTV coverage per square mile in the whole world; no Indian city even comes close to our numbers. Delhi’s education revolution has enabled girls from weak families to gain confidence and fly high. One can go around and see how confident girls of Delhi Government Schools have become because of the opportunities they get to express themselves. Bow down to the Nari Shakti of Delhi on International Women’s Day; their courage and contribution in building this society inspires me to work harder.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Delhi Commission for Women hosted its annual award ceremony. The function’s chief guest was Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal. During the event, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal presented citations to women who have excelled in various fields. Among those present at the event were Canadian High Commissioner Shri Cameron McKay, Transport Minister Shri Kailash Gahlot and Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson Ms Swati Maliwal among other dignitaries.
Shri Arvind Kejriwal said, “Heartiest greetings to everyone on the occasion of the International Women’s Day. I congratulate all the awardees who’ve been honoured today and want to express the joy I have felt after meeting all of them. I want to assert that our society takes pride in what you’ve done and the bravery you’ve shown. I feel re-energised after having met you. I want to congratulate the Delhi Commission for Women for their excellent leadership over their years and making the organisation ever-vibrant. Before Swati Ji took up the charge of transforming DCW, the organisation would clear 1 case in 8-9 years. But now, the numbers have reached 1.25 lacs in their tenure.”
He added, “Most governments misused Commissions & Boards to lure people who’d gain them political leverage. But we did not follow that precedent. We handpicked the best people for every such post regardless of any biases. This is why we made Swati Maliwal the chairperson of DCW. Today, DCW stands tall as an exemplary body from which all state commissions take inspiration. In my opinion the National Commission for Women should learn from DCW as to how to uplift women’s causes. DCW is so strong as an organisation that every woman who lives in the state feels a sense of security that there is a band of their sisters standing in support at whatever step they take. They know that they can call 181 in distress. Whatever problem they face, be it an abusive husband, some mishap in the household, any criminal activity, or any other injustice, they just need to call 181, and Swati will be there for them. I truly believe that the public sentiment of her being the ‘Lady Singham of Delhi’ is completely apt. We must credit her for her courage. How she combats fierce liquor mafias while standing in places the toughest of the men would fear to go. How she brings women freedom from the clutches of criminals and personally rescues them out of these dens. She is a standing example that courage and bravery don’t propagate out of buffed-up muscles but from a clear heart and a determined mind that wants to do good for the society.”
He continued, “We’ve done two major things to make a more women friendly atmosphere in Delhi. First, we’ve provided them a sense of security. Second, we’ve provided them with ample opportunities. To make them feel more secure, we took a hoard of new steps — paramount being the strengthening of the DCW. Then, because of our efforts, Delhi tops the list of CCTV coverage per square mile throughout the globe. Such things deter criminal mindset. We appointed bus marshalls throughout our fleet. We hear a lot of stories of how marshalls have protected women and children from those causing hurt to them. We transformed our education system, now year on year newspapers tell tales of how girls outperform boys in results. Yes, the schools are for boys and girls alike, but there is an anecdotal-social factor that plays in. When a household is financially weak and has to choose between the education of their son and daughter, the son would go to the private school and the daughter would help in the chores and go to the government school as a formality. But with the education system transforming thoroughly, girls got a chance to open up their wings and fly high.”
The CM stated, “Half our aim of women empowerment gets fulfilled when these girls who are perhaps first generation learners get to study in world class schools. We’re doing whatever we can in our capacity to make our students the best versions of themselves. We’re developing an entrepreneurial mindset in every single student in our government schools to make them job providers and not job seekers. Under our Business Blasters Program, every student gets Rs 2,000 to grow an idea into a business. Students get together in teams, pool their money and build a start-up. They then took this startup to the market, sold their products. We then placed them in front of investors. Now, one of our teams has gotten Rs 50 lacs as investment. These kinds of opportunities empower the society. When women get to stand on an equal pedestal, they fly so high that they leave everyone behind. When we had made bus travel free for women, we faced a lot of flack in the name of giving freebies. But imagine the state of a woman who sets up a fruit-stall. She spends whatever little earnt on travel. We aim to empower the weakest section of the society so they can stand next to the most elite with confidence. So many girls have been able to access education because of free bus travel, they can easily go to college. And to be honest, they can even go on a leisure trip and fearlessly roam around Delhi, it makes them more independent, gives them more freedom. Independence is the highest form of empowerment and we aim to achieve just that.”
At the same time, Transport Minister Shri Kailash Gahlot said, “today the number of public buses in Delhi has crossed the figure of 7 thousand. There are marshals present in every bus. That’s why our sisters and daughters today feel safe while travelling in buses. The status of buses can be seen live through CCTV cameras. Through GPS, the police and enforcement teams can track the location of the bus and are able to reach the spot immediately if any incident is reported. Whenever it came to the safety of our sisters and daughters, our government did not shy away from taking any strong steps. For the first time in the whole world, the Delhi Government has made travel for women in free public buses. Many women drive autos and taxis in Delhi, work is being done to encourage more women to come forward and stand on their feet. We had just announced about providing 4,000 electric auto permits. Of this, 30 percent of the permits are reserved for women only. In the coming times, more women will be seen driving electric autos. Very few women are driving DTC and cluster buses. The buses that were there earlier, could be a bit difficult to drive, but the buses that we have at present are quite easy to operate. To encourage women drivers, we have lowered the height parameter and provided flexibility to applicants.”
During the event Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson Ms Swati Maliwal said, “in the last six years, Delhi Commission for Women has done amazing work. We have processed 1.23 lakh cases in these six years. The 181 helpline team has attended more than 15 lakh calls. The Delhi Commission for Women before us had heard only one case in eight years. We have created a system with the help of the Delhi government, where 181 helplines have 30 vehicles and more than 100 counsellors for deployment. Through this system, we have freed many thousands of women and children from the shackles of traffickers. We have created a cell, under which our lawyers are present in every court where rape cases are being heard. In the last 6 years, we have helped women and children in over one lakh court hearings and counseled over 30,000 sexual assault victims. There are more than 80 Mahila Panchayats running at the grassroot level, which work for empowerment & awareness. We have also given more than 300 suggestions to the central and state government till now. Our aim is to make such a system in which people are afraid to commit crime against women and we are working on it with full dedication.”
CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal, along with other guests on the panel felicitated the recipients with their awards. The host enthused the crowd and stated, “A girl should be two things – who and what she wants. And the women these days take these words very seriously,” as she announced the names of some extraordinary personalities. The awardee list saw a line of inspiring stories – of an acid attack survivor turned fashion influencer; posthumous recognition of bravery exhibited by a mere 13 year old; exceptional defence force officers – lieutenants, counsellors, wing commanders; women who broke down barriers regardless of their age or background. The Delhi Commission for Women Awards ceremony recognised and lauded women keeping with the theme of ‘Break The Bias’. The exemplary list continued to include women who used their voices to raise important societal matters; actors, YouTubers, doctors – all in one; women working towards upliftment of underprivileged sections of society like the transgender community; sportswomen who won over Indian hearts; scientists at ISRO who made a name for themselves in the world of science; the KungFu nuns, who performed their art of self defence at the ceremon as well; and more such influential personalities.