Tirupati Resolution marks a new era for women's empowerment: LS Speaker Om Birla

Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], September 15 (ANI): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday said that the Tirupati Resolution will strengthen women's empowerment, with unity and determination, which will lead India towards social and economic transformation and inclusive development.
He expressed his view in the valedictory session of the first National Conference of the Committees on Empowerment of Women of Parliament and State/UT Legislatures held in Tirupati. The two-day conference, which began on Sunday, was attended by representatives from more than 20 states.
Birla highlighted the need for sustainable economic empowerment models for women as the conference concluded in Tirupati, with the unanimous adoption of the 'Tirupati Resolution'.
The 'Tirupati Resolution' laid down a clear roadmap for advancing women's empowerment. It emphasised applying a gender lens across all Ministries and Departments, enhancing allocations for health, education, skills, and entrepreneurship, institutionalising gender-responsive budgeting, and strengthening technical capacity at national and state levels.

The resolution also committed to bridging the digital divide, promoting women's participation in STEM fields, ensuring cybersecurity, expanding digital literacy programmes, and empowering women to become active creators of technology. Reaffirming the centrality of women-led development, the Resolution pledged to advance women's education, health, safety, dignity, and self-reliance as the cornerstone of national progress and the realisation of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Delivering his remarks at the valedictory session of the historic parliamentary conference dedicated to women's empowerment, the Lok Sabha Speaker stressed that women's empowerment is not only a social imperative but also an economic necessity.
By investing in women's health, education, skills and entrepreneurship, India can unlock a vast reservoir of human capital and build a resilient socio-economic model of development, he said.
Birla said that "During this conference, we discussed women's empowerment in relation to social issues, as well as economic self-reliance. For two days, wide-ranging discussions were held on how every woman can become economically independent.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made continuous efforts to increase women's role in economic activities. Across the country, many women's self-help groups are successfully empowering women by enabling them to market their products nationally and internationally. This has given a boost to swadeshi products and has increased women's participation in economic activities.
" Alongside social and economic transformation, we are also seeing women take leadership roles in science, technology, space, sports, and every other field. It is only through women-led development that the dream of a Viksit Bharat can be fulfilled," the Lok Sabha speaker said.
He said that in the coming days, "we will request all State Legislative Assembly Speakers to ensure that Committees on Women's Empowerment and Child Welfare are established in every state." These committees will play a vital role in advancing women's empowerment and leadership in social and economic transformation.
"They will review policies and schemes implemented in the state and assess the impact of government initiatives on the ground. They will also provide valuable suggestions on how to improve outcomes. We will encourage cross-learning among states to identify which policies are working best and to adopt innovative practices," he said.
On the occasion of the International Day of Democracy on Monday, the Lok Sabha Speaker underlined that democracy in India is not merely a political arrangement but a civilizational value and a way of life. He stated that India, known as the Mother of Democracy, has for centuries upheld the principles of equality, dialogue and participation, and that democracy is deeply woven into the cultural and social fabric of the country.
Birla emphasised that women's empowerment must not be viewed only as a matter of welfare, but as the foundation of national development. He recalled the pioneering role of reformers such as Savitribai Phule, who championed the cause of women's emancipation through education, and cited the example of schools in Maharashtra, which educated elderly women in villages in pursuit of 100 per cent literacy. Such initiatives, he noted, remain a source of inspiration for contemporary policies.
Highlighting the achievements of women from rural and underprivileged backgrounds, the Speaker said that their excellence in education, entrepreneurship and community leadership shows that opportunities, when provided, yield transformational outcomes. He called for a renewed effort to extend these opportunities to every segment of society, so that women can participate fully as equal stakeholders in India's progress.
The Speaker highlighted how Gender Responsive Budgeting is not merely a financial mechanism but a socio-economic model that integrates women's needs into the national development agenda. It was stressed that budgets must serve as instruments of social justice, ensuring equal access to healthcare, education, skills, and livelihoods for women, thereby enabling them to fully participate in and lead the nation's growth journey. Applying a gender lens to resource allocation, he said, ensures that women's concerns are not treated as peripheral but are integrated into mainstream planning.
The conference also addressed by S Abdul Nazeer, Governor of Andhra Pradesh; Harivansh, Dy Chairman, Rajya Sabha; D Purandnewari, Chairperson of Committee on Empowerment of Women, Parliament; Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu, Speaker, Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly; Gowru Karitha Reddy, Chairperson, Committee of Welfare of Women, Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly; K Raghu Rama Krishna Raju, Deputy Speaker, Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. (ANI)