In a major breakthrough, India has successfully set up a ‘Global Alliance for Global Good- Gender Equity and Equality’ to push women’s empowerment and gender equality during the 54th Annual Meeting of World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday.
The announcement was made in the presence of the World Economic Forum’s Founder and Executive Chairman Professor Klaus Schwab.
Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Hardeep Puri were also present in a gathering of noted Indian businessmen at a dinner hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
The alliance will bring together global good practices, knowledge sharing and investments in the field of women’s education, health and enterprise.
It has garnered support from global corporate houses like MasterCard, Microsoft and a large number of domestic industry leaders.
Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, praised India’s participation at Davos 2024 and spoke about the country’s success in achieving seven per cent growth annually.
Schwab called India’s story a successful one, said development goes hand in hand with India. “When you look at India, I think development goes hand in hand with India. If I look at support to make India an indigenous powerhouse, it’s just unbelievable…success rate of 7 per cent. We don’t always imagine what it means because if it’s 7 per cent, you double economy every ten years and if you take a generation of 20 years, you quadruple GDP.”
He said this shows how India with its enormous economic growth “will become an economic powerhouse. But the situation is to keep and put emphasis on equality and inclusion.”
The WEF Founder then expressed his gratitude to the forum’s Indian partners. “I would like to thank particularly our Indian partners since you are very strong driver, you are exemplary in terms of engagement.”
“I would like to thank the government because such a strong delegation some weeks before the election, means how much the government is also conducting. And finally, my thanks to CII because since for over 40 years now it has become not only a partnership, it has become a friendship,” he said.
In her address, Union Minister Smriti Irani thanked the World Economic Forum for being a gentle, gracious but very strong support to the Indian industry.
She said: “I stand here today proud that on the streets, as money walks and politics talks, we could bring together the best of industry, enterprise and humanity in the grand alliance. There have been many naysayers for those who spoke up for gender and those who made an economic and a social justice aid for gender.”