Bhubaneswar: 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 Chief Guest, Parida called for an integrated approach, strong institutions 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 aims to share effective practices, identify implementation gaps and explore actionable strategies for strengthening institutional mechanisms.
NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar outlined the vision of the Summit and emphasised the need for sustained collective action and stronger institutional mechanisms.Member Secretary, NCW Sudeep Jain, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, W&CD Department Dr Mrinalini Darswal and Secretary, Mission Shakti Manasi Nimbhal were present at the inaugural session.
The Summit saw participation from 29 senior officers at the level of Secretary, Commissioner, Director and Joint Director representing 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.
