Pravati Parida joins national summit on women and child development in Delhi

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida on Thursday met Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi in New Delhi as senior representatives from states and Union Territories gathered for a two-day national summit on strengthening programmes for women and children.

Parida is attending the Departmental Summit of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) being held on October 8 and 9. Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Odisha’s Women & Child Development Department Mrinalini Darswal is also participating in the deliberations.

The summit is focusing on improving outcomes in key areas such as nutrition, child protection, women’s safety and women’s empowerment, besides strengthening coordination between the Centre and states for effective implementation of flagship programmes.

Deliberations at the summit are centred on four major themes. These include transforming Anganwadi Centres to improve nutrition and early childhood education, strengthening the child protection system, improving institutional and legislative mechanisms for women’s safety, and enhancing the effectiveness of programmes aimed at women’s empowerment.

The discussions are aimed at identifying practical measures that can improve service delivery and ensure that government interventions translate into tangible benefits for women and children.

Parida’s participation provides Odisha an opportunity to present its experiences and innovations in the women and child development sector while also drawing lessons from successful initiatives implemented by other states and Union Territories.

The state is emphasising the importance of translating policy decisions into measurable improvements in nutrition, safety, protection and empowerment at the grassroots level.

The summit is also expected to strengthen Centre-State convergence and facilitate greater coordination among departments and agencies involved in implementing programmes for women and children.

The two-day deliberations will conclude with the preparation of a time-bound Action Plan, with specific responsibilities, deadlines and monitoring mechanisms for implementation.

The proposed roadmap is expected to focus on strengthening service delivery and improving the overall well-being, safety, development and empowerment of women and children.

Odisha’s participation in the national exercise reflects the state’s continued emphasis on collaborative policymaking and stronger implementation of programmes aimed at improving the lives of women and children.