Women can benefit in a big way from care services sector, says Smriti Irani

The G20 Summit should focus on developing a care economy and eliminate bias against women in technology and related sectors, said Smriti Irani, Union Minister for Women and Child Development

The G20 Summit should focus on developing a care economy and eliminate bias against women in technology and related sectors, said Smriti Irani, Union Minister for Women and Child Development. 

At the release of the communique at the final summit of the W20  engagement group at Mamallapuram near here on Thursday, she said: “When you discuss gender and technology, let us also ponder over what AI (artificial intelligence) brings to women. An additional focus on care services has a potential to create 300 million extra jobs that will predominantly go to women,” she said.

“We look forward to working with the W20 India team. The Ministry will put together one paper to accumulate data sets and those related policy issues to better inform the administration and bureaucracy across the issues,” she said. 

G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant called for changes to bring gender equality in 15 years. According to him, India has taken major steps in that direction. In the last seven to eight years, over 80% of the 40 million houses built were in the name of women. As many as 110 million toilets were built under the Swachh Bharat scheme and 43% women were in STEM programmes. Also, in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, 70% of loans had gone to women. 

Shombi Sharp, United Nations Resident Coordinator, India, wanted the summit to focus on changes that could be made in the next five to seven years. 

Shamika Ravi, chair of the W20 communique drafting committee, spoke on the five themes that the meet focused on. They included data pertaining to women’s wellbeing; impact of climate change and its effect on women; women entrepreneurship and leadership with India proposing 50% leadership in its rural local bodies; digital divide between genders; and education of women.