Members of Rajya Sabha attend first P-20 Meeting of Women Parliamentarians in Brazil

Maceio [Brazil], July 3 : Members of Rajya Sabha, Kalpana Saini and Sangeeta Yadav, attended the first P-20 Meeting of Women Parliamentarians in Maceio, Brazil, from June 30 to July 2.
The P-20 Meeting of Women Parliamentarians, with the theme "Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet", was dedicated to debates and exchanges between Brazilian and foreign leaders on three core themes of the G20 summit these include climate change and sustainable development, social inclusion and the fight against hunger and poverty and reform of global institutions, according to the official statement
Speaking at the First Working Session on Promoting Climate Justice and Sustainable Development for Women and Girls, Dr Kalpana Saini emphasised how climate change affects all countries irrespective of boundaries though this impact is felt differently across social classes requiring urgent need for climate justice and implementation of global mitigation measures.
"A core theme in her speech was the need and requirement for women-led development to create more inclusive climate solutions. She went on to focus on several key initiatives undertaken by India to promote sustainability and harmony with nature. These included a specific focus on India-led Mission LiFE that embraces the people-planet-prosperity philosophy," the statement added.

Further, a special mention was also made to key gender-responsive policies of the Indian government such as the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojna, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna and the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao initiative.
Several National action plans such as the National Mission for Empowerment of Women, the National Action Plan on Climate Change, and the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change were highlighted to prove India's commitment to ecological sustainability coupled with gender inclusivity.

Dr Kalpana, mentioning the pioneering schemes of Jal Jeevan Mission and the MGNREGA, stated that gender-related inequalities exist globally and it is the need of the hour that global problems such as climate change do not exacerbate the existing marginalisation.

"She concluded her speech by stating that climate policy which seeks to promote sustainable development must be inclusive in nature. India, for its part, maintains that climate justice can only be ensured if women are part of formulating global policies. Women's empowerment and inclusion in climate action is the need of the hour," as per the official statement

Following the sessions of the P20, the Indian Delegation, upon invitation, held a bilateral meeting with the delegation from the United States of America.
The delegation consisted of Congresswoman Young Kim and Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove. The bilateral discussion focused on the strong India-US bilateral ties and significant areas of cooperation such as women, children and education.
The USA delegation shifted the discussions to financial inclusivity and literacy to which the Indian delegation responded by mentioning several key schemes of the government in this regard.
A special mention was made by the USA delegation on the ethnic origins of their Vice President and how she has brought to light the vibrancy of the Indian Culture in their country.

The Indian delegation carried forward the discussion by mentioning the core areas of India's sustainable agenda such as Rain Water Harvesting, Solar Energy, Sustainable farming and the need for climate justice and gender inclusivity in areas of environment and climate.

The Members of Parliament affirmed that they would continue to work towards creating a just and equitable society for all women.