New Delhi, May 7 (IANS). Women’s participation in India’s maritime sector is increasing rapidly. Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Thursday that since the year 2020, there has been an increase of about 340 percent in the participation of women in the maritime sector of the country. He said that the Central Government is continuously working towards making the maritime sector more inclusive, modern and future ready.
According to the official statement, while addressing the ’10th Indian Ocean Dialogue’ organized in the national capital, Union Minister Sonowal said that ‘women power’ is emerging as the most important force for India’s maritime development. He said that through schemes like ‘Sagar Mein Samman’, women are being provided new opportunities for respect, leadership and employment in the maritime sector. He said that the transformation taking place in the maritime sector under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is helping to create a strong, inclusive and future-ready workforce.
He further said that the Indian Ocean is not just a maritime region, but the lifeline of global trade, energy supply and supply chains. In such a situation, it is very important to strengthen security, stability and cooperation in this region. He said that along with economic development, social empowerment and human-centric development is also being given priority in India’s maritime policy.
Referring to Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Sagar’ and ‘Ocean’ vision, the Union Minister said that India is working with all the countries in the Indian Ocean region towards equitable development and strengthening regional cooperation. He said that no one country can solve maritime challenges alone, for this all countries will have to work together.
The statement said that the event was organized under the chairmanship of India, as India is chairing the Indian Ocean Rim Association from the year 2025 to 2027. This year the theme of the dialogue has been ‘Indian Ocean Region in a Changing World’. Ministers, policy experts, academicians and industry representatives from many countries participated in the program.
Important issues like maritime security, blue economy, climate change, disaster management and women empowerment were discussed in the programme. Under India’s chairmanship, IORA has made innovation, openness, robustness and adaptability its key priorities. Besides, special importance is also being given to economic empowerment of women.
Sonowal said India is playing the role of a responsible partner in humanitarian assistance, maritime surveillance and disaster relief operations in the Indian Ocean region. He reiterated that India, together with all partner countries, is fully committed to building a secure, stable and prosperous Indian Ocean region.
–IANS
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