Bhopal: Governor Anandiben Patel said that multi-pronged efforts are needed for the empowerment of women. She said that there is a need to change the thinking of the society besides understanding the family and social perspective of women. Besides women and their relatives, it is also essential to make girls conscious towards their health. Apart from organizing special camps for health check-ups, special initiatives should be taken by the state and central government to make information about the work being done for health facilities available in inaccessible and remote areas. Patel was addressing a webinar of the summit being held in connection with Breast Cancer Action-Day as chief guest. The Governor of Manipur Dr. Najma Heptulla was also present in the webinar.
Governor Patel said that women are subjected to negligence in terms of health by women themselves and their families in our country. Women do not discuss about their illness with their family, husband and son. Due to this, diseases that can be treated easily at the initial stage reaches a serious condition. She said that she had tried to make changes in this situation when she was Chief Minister of Gujarat. She had allocated 33 percent of the state budget for women. This gender budget had started the process of the creation of women-centric schemes for the first time in the state. She informed that health check up camps were organised for examining diseases including cancer in the state. Nearly one and a half crore women were examined out of which one and a half to two thousand women who were diagnosed with initial stage cancer could be provided timely treatment. She said that women are hesitant to talk about their illness, they hesitate to go far to consult a doctor, especially male doctors. Therefore, it is necessary that health camps for women should be organized in tehsils or clusters of 10 villages. She stated the need to provide information related to diseases, health and nutrition to adolescent girls. She said that these girls are the future daughters, daughters-in-law and mothers of a family. If these girls will be aware, they will be helpful in solving health problems of their mothers, mothers-in-law and family. She said that educational institutions have got an opportunity in the form of a national education policy. In this, changes can be made in the educational system according to the solution of the present challenges of the society and the needs of the future. She called upon educationists to avail this opportunity to create an educational curriculum with initiative for empowerment of women. The results should be studied after which efforts must be made for its expansion. She congratulated the ‘National Integrated Health and Well Being Council’ and ‘Women’s Health, Wellness for Women Empowerment Foundation’ for using Breast Cancer Awareness Month to raise awareness about the risks of breast cancer.
The programme was addressed by Governor of Manipur Dr. Najma Heptulla. She appreciated the thinking and concern and the work done by the Governor of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh Patel for women empowerment. She said that breast cancer is a fatal disease because people are not able to know about it in time. Public awareness efforts are necessary to identify the disease. She said that special efforts should be made for women’s health in remote areas.
At the outset, Dr. Meera Agnihotri, founder of Foundation for Women Empowerment gave a welcome address. The programme was conducted by Shri Kamal Narayan Omer, Chief Executive Officer of Integrated Health and Well Being. Chairman of Union for International Cancer Control Dr. Anil D’cruz propose the vote of thanks.
