Indian women are taking lead as change makers: NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma

Indian women are taking the lead as change-makers in every field, NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma said here on Wednesday.

She said sitting at home women are also trying to learn something new because of the societal mindset change.

"Women are now the change makers, and we are not only changing for the better, but we are the change-makers in the society, whether entrepreneurship, start-ups or having own business, being in services, CEO of companies or a homemaker", the National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson said while talking to reporters here.

"When the prime minister spoke from the Red Fort on Independence Day about women-led empowerment, the things around started changing and we have seen in the last nine years things are changing positively," she said.

Asked about the increasing rate of crime against women, Sharma said people are saying there is an increase in crime against women because of increase in data.

In the past, those in chair did not listen to women coming up to them but now they are registering every FIR and that's how there is an increase in the data of crime against women, she said.

"Women were not coming out despite facing harassment at various places be it workplace or society," she said, adding that now more women are coming out and speaking about their problems and that should be taken as a positive sign.

Encouraging women to come out and speak of their problems, she said, once they start speaking, those at the helm will start working on those problems.

"Women are now not repressed and suppressed that they can’t speak", she said. FIRs are being registered now while the work of the police is also now better than earlier", the women's commission chairperson said.

"We are working towards it and I am not saying that it is good but there should not be any crime against women or against humanity in general," she said.

On status of women in North East, Sharma said she visited Nagaland seven years back and now there has been a huge change in the status of women in the North East and India as a whole.

In the North East, women were empowered earlier also, and they are now more empowered because of the positive changes around them.

"More women in NE are working in government sectors, doing their own business and even in a small place like Kohima so many women are doing wonderful things", she said.

Expressing happiness that the people of NE share lots of love and respect, Sharma in her message said women here are doing wonderful things but they also should think about something new, including business around the tourism sector which is increasing in the region.

Sharma was in Kohima for flagging in of 'Amazing NAMASTE' Foundation sponsored organized second edition 'Women on Wheels' (WoW) expedition to Assam and Nagaland.

WoW comprises 27 women participating in an expedition which covers Diphu in Assam to Kohima, Nagaland to Kaziranga-Dibrugarh-Guwahati in Assam.

The expedition left for Dimapur for onward journey to Assam on Wednesday.