Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) President Rajesh Kumar Agrawal said that women are a huge resource in the global economy.
Speaking at the Women Leadership Summit held in Kathmandu, Chairman Agrawal, however, said that the resource has not been fully utilized.
He said that the society can utilize women's full economic potential there by eliminating gender inequality and increasing opportunities for education, employment, entrepreneurship, and leadership.
President Agrawal went on to say that investing in women's empowerment will have a direct impact on family income, community prosperity, and economic development.
The session titled "Investing in Women" is being conducted with the recognition that ensuring gender equality is not only a moral necessity, but also a strategic path towards economic progress and sustainable development, he said.
In addition to that, President Agrawal underscored the need to increase women’s participation in the public bodies.
“There is a universal belief that women-led organizations have good governance. Hence, women’s role is very important in the prosperity of Nepal’s industrial and economic sectors. There is also a need to further enhance the role of women,” he stressed.
“We can see the development of women entrepreneurship growing positively in Nepal. Nepal's women entrepreneurs are making significant contributions in various sectors such as agriculture, tourism, information technology and handicrafts among others. Despite small business, the women have been contributing to the country’s economy,” Chairman Agrawal said, adding, “It is the need of the hour to develop women as an important basis for economic empowerment. For that, the CNI is ready to cooperate with the government.”
He stressed that women's representation in politics should be increased to achieve gender equality.
“Women's self-dependency is directly related to their financial conditions. It is necessary to increase the loan cap to utilize the knowledge and skills of women entrepreneurs,” CNI President Agrawal said while addressing the program.
He said that the Nepal government has been encouraging women legally to increase their participation in political and economic sectors.
Saying that Women's Leadership Summit is not just a summit, he said that It is also a campaign to encourage and advance women economically, socially, politically, and inclusively.
