K’taka to host first standalone Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians conference

Bengaluru: Bengaluru is set to host a historic parliamentary conference bringing together women legislators from across India on a common platform, with the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) India Region Conference scheduled to be held on November 17 and 18.

The Karnataka Legislature will host the first standalone conference of its kind in India in coordination with the Indian Parliament.The conference, to be inaugurated jointly by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, will focus on women's cyber safety, digital challenges and strengthening women's leadership in legislatures.

The event will be held under the overarching theme, “Safe Foundations, Strong Voices: Cyber Safety and Mentorship Pathways for New Women Legislators.”

Around 150 to 180 women representatives and legislators from various states and Union Territories are expected to participate. Leaders and representatives from international Commonwealth countries are also expected to attend the conference.

Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker G.S. Patil on Monday said the state was happy to have been chosen to host the first-of-its-kind conference in the country.

“Karnataka is hosting this conference, which is the first of its kind in the whole of India. Women legislators from across the country are assembling in one place to discuss some of the important issues that women legislators are facing,” he said.

Patil said the proposal to host the conference in Karnataka was made by D. Purandeswari, who heads the India Region of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians.

He said Karnataka was chosen in recognition of the work being undertaken by the state in the areas of women's welfare and development. Chief Minister Shivakumar had also readily agreed to support the event and directed the organisers to ensure its success, he added.

Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman Salim Ahmed described the event as a historic occasion for the state and said the agenda of the conference would be decided by the Indian Parliament, while the Karnataka Legislature would serve as the host.

“This is the first conference for women in India. More than 150 delegates are going to participate. Even leaders from international Commonwealth countries are also going to come,” Ahmed said.

He said MPs and MLAs from across the country had been invited to participate in the conference. The event will focus on issues concerning women, including women's empowerment, leadership and the challenges faced by women representatives.

The Lok Sabha Speaker, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, along with Union ministers, state ministers, opposition leaders and legislators, are expected to attend the event. The Governor is scheduled to address the closing function.

Ahmed said Karnataka had consistently supported women's empowerment through various initiatives, including programmes such as free bus travel for women.

“The message will be loud and clear about women's strength, women's empowerment and women's leadership,” he said.

A curtain-raiser programme is scheduled to be held on November 14, during which Purandeswari, along with the Chief Minister, the Speaker and other leaders, will launch the logo of the conference.

Ahmed said the Chief Minister had directed officials, including the Chief Secretary, to make the event a grand success.

The two-day conference is expected to provide a platform for women legislators from across the country to exchange views on contemporary challenges, particularly cyber safety and digital issues, while also exploring mentorship pathways for new women legislators.

--IANS

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