It’s time Manipur women take leading role in development works: Biren

Imphal: Manipur women have already been empowered, time has come for the women to take a leading role in development works, chief minister N. Biren Singh said at the inaugural session of “Capacity Building Training Programme for Women Traders of three Ima Keithel” held at Hotel Imphal on Tuesday.

The training programme will have three technical sessions on topics including knowledge of relevant banking schemes and how to use online banking, Knowledge of tax laws / neew GST laws and tax compliances and E-Commerce demonstration.

The training programme was organised by National Commission for Women, New Delhi in collaboration with Manipur State Commission for Women (MSCW).

Women of Manipur, being in the forefront, had always taken part in many causes of the state for the last many years and took a commendable role in its development. Many women are currently holding important posts of the state government institutions, taking part in the administration of the state, the chief minister said.

Contribution of women vendors had been a major part of the rural economy, he said and stressed on the need for them to be well aware of the digital world so that they could cope up with the flow of development. The capacity building training programme would help out in better usage of mobile technology in marketing their products and going with cashless transactions. The training programme would also facilitate in accessing banking services and availing the benefits of various Government Schemes as most of the women vendors had already had a bank account, he added.

Biren said the state government had already constructed seven Ima Markets and many such markets are also under construction with the aim to empower women and contribute more towards economic development. He informed that women markets would be constructed in the remaining new districts of the state. He informed that the state government is planning to construct a market for accommodating all tribal communities at Lamphel area. Different market sheds would be provided for each community, he added.

The chief minister appealed to the women vendors to take part in the training session seriously so that they could provide the knowledge and information to their fellow vendors who couldn’t take part in the training programme.

Social welfare minister Heikham Dingo stressed on the need to be well aware and informed about the digital world to be able to sustain with the changes in technology. He also sought support of all women vendors in the state’s development works to make a progressive state.

Chairperson, National Commission for Women, Rekha Sharma, said that she could notice women of Manipur taking part in every activity carried out in the state. Women had already been empowered and as such the need of the hour is women led empowerment where women show the ways for development to others.

Stressing on the need for women vendors of the state to be aware of e-marketing to sell the products, she said their market shouldn’t be limited to the Ssate only, rather it should reach to customers around the world.

The training programme would also provide knowledge of e-commerce and ways to avail loans from banks under various MSME Sshemes of the central and the state government, she added.

She was hopeful that the trained women would be the torch bearers for others and would also help in making other women aware of the digital technology. She also informed that training programmes would also be conducted for women vendors of hill areas.

Chairperson, MSCW, Thumlip Tiningpham Monsang, members of the commission (MSCW), and director, social welfare department Ngangom Uttam, officials of the department and women vendors of the three Ima Markets also attended the programme among others.

The chief minister led the others in observing one minute silence as condolence to the departed souls of persons who lost their lives in the recent massive landslide tragedy at Tupul Yard Railway Construction Camp.