Odisha Deputy Chief Minister, Pravati Parida, today inaugurated the Shakti Summit in Bhubaneswar, bringing together senior officials from 22 States and Union Territories to strengthen collective action on women’s safety, protection and empowerment.
Addressing the inaugural session as the Chief Guest, Dy CM Parida said that women’s safety and empowerment must be pursued together through strong institutions, effective implementation and collective responsibility. “Women’s safety and women’s empowerment cannot be addressed in isolation. They must move together through strong institutions, effective implementation and collective responsibility. The Shakti Summit provides an important platform for States and the Centre to learn from each other, strengthen convergence and ensure that every woman is able to live with safety, dignity and opportunity,” she said.
Organised by the National Commission for Women (NCW) in collaboration with the Government of Odisha, the Summit brings States and Union Territories together to share effective practices, identify implementation gaps and explore actionable strategies for strengthening institutional mechanisms for women’s safety, protection and empowerment.
Addressing the inaugural session, Vijaya Rahatkar, Chairperson, National Commission for Women, outlined the vision of the Summit and emphasised the need for sustained collective action and stronger institutional mechanisms to advance women’s safety and empowerment across the country.
Sudeep Jain, Member Secretary, National Commission for Women; Dr. Mrinalini Darswal, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Women & Child Development Department, Government of Odisha; and Manasi Nimbhal, Secretary, Mission Shakti, Government of Odisha, were also present at the inaugural session.
The Summit saw participation from 29 senior officers at the level of Secretary, Commissioner, Director and Joint Director representing 22 States/UTs — Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Chandigarh and Telangana.
The deliberations at the Shakti Summit will focus on strengthening implementation mechanisms, sharing successful state-level interventions and fostering institutional collaboration to address emerging challenges concerning women’s safety and protection. The Summit will also provide an opportunity for States and Union Territories to learn from one another and identify areas for greater convergence in efforts towards women’s empowerment.
