Africa-Press – Mauritius. ‘International Women‘s Day is a day to reflect on the role of women in society and the family.
The fight for the emancipation of women and gender equality should not be a mere slogan, everyone should apply it in their daily lives by giving women and girls due respect, recognition and rights in society’.
The Prime Minister, Mr. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, made this statement today, during the official celebration of International Women’s Day 2022 at the Sir Harilal Vaghjee Memorial Hall in Port-Louis.
The theme of this year’s celebration is “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow”. The 2022-2030 National Gender Policy was also launched on the occasion.
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Housing and Spatial Planning, Minister for Tourism, Mr. Louis Steven Obeegadoo, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Ms.
Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, Minister for Gender Equality and Family Welfare , Ms. Kalpana Devi Koonjoo-Shah, the Acting Resident Coordinator of the United Nations, Dr. Laurent Musango, Lady Sarojini Jugnauth and various personalities were present.
In his speech, Prime Minister Jugnauth called for a change in the mindset and behavior of citizens to promote gender equality and the equal participation of women at all levels of society, for a more just and equitable society.
He spoke about the predominant role of women in the health, education and public sectors, which, according to him, are very competent and stand out for their merits.
He encouraged women to take higher positions in all spheres of life. The Prime Minister praised the UN for its support in promoting gender equality in the country and around the world.
This day, he stressed, is an occasion to salute the courage and resilience of women, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, as women had a greater role to play as mothers, professionals and members of society.
She referred to numerous measures implemented by the Government to protect and empower women, namely the granting of financial assistance by the Mauritius Development Bank in the form of unsecured loans of Rs 100,000 with no interest rate for up to eight years with a moratorium.
of five years; and a loan of Rs 1 million at a fixed interest rate of 5% for five years with a one-year moratorium under the COVID-19 Special Support Plan.
Regarding the National Gender Policy 2022-2030, she said that it supports the Government’s commitment to integrate gender into all development planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation policies and will serve as an effective tool for the public and private sectors, the media, non-governmental institutions and other institutions to promote gender equality.
The Prime Minister also underlined that according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2021, Mauritius has made significant progress from 115th in 2020 to 110th in 2021. Mr.
Jugnauth also reiterated the Government’s commitment to continue its fight against domestic violence, inequality and discrimination against women and to work on legislation and institutional changes in support of women.
She also spoke about L’Assise de l’Entrepreneuriat Féminin, which has been launched to reflect, analyze and motivate women, as well as provide them with various facilities to start their businesses.
Minister Koonjoo-Shah praised the efforts and contributions of all women, adding that the day is an occasion to reflect on the enormous contribution and crucial role of women in the socio-economic development of the country.
Speaking on the UN theme chosen for this year’s celebration, she stressed that women must be at the center of the country’s development. She praised the courage and sacrifices of the women on the front lines who have worked tirelessly during the pandemic.
Thus, she called for a greater emancipation of women and her participation in the economic development of the country. Dr. Laurent Musango, for his part, read the message from the Secretary General of the United Nations where the latter highlighted the contribution of women in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
He called for women to be given due recognition for all the challenges they have faced over time and for making the world a better place by contributing economically and socially.
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