Smt. Lakshmi R Hebbalkar, Hon'ble Minister for Women and Child Welfare, Disabled and Senior Citizens Empowerment in the Government of Karnataka

Minister Madam: Firstly, during the tenure of the previous BJP government, people were shaken by price rise. People had reached a point where it was difficult to survive

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Most of the promises of Congress have focussed on empowering women with benefits – Rs 2,000 per woman head of a household, free public transport etc. What was the objective behind these guarantees? 

So people had to be given some relief from their sufferings. In this context, the Congress announced guarantee schemes. Opponents have been making a lot of criticism about guarantee schemes. This is the initial step in guiding individuals, particularly women, towards self-sufficiency and empowerment. The money that comes and stays from guarantees helps a woman run her family. It will be of little help to the education of children. At least to some extent, it will help her escape the brunt of price rise.

Numbers from the election point out that women have been big contributors to the INC’s victory in Karnataka.What measures is the Congress looking at taking to help improve gender equality in the state? 

The Congress party has always advocated gender equality. It has also advocated 50 per cent representation for women in the Lok Sabha. Women today are not far behind men in any field. In the coming days, we will formulate several schemes to empower women and make them stand on their own feet. The Congress is a party that strongly believes that society can develop only when women are empowered and gender equality existed.

Despite the women-centric policies, representation of women in politics in Karnataka continues to be a distant dream. Being the lone woman minister in Siddaramaiah government, how important do you think women’s representation in Legislature is in fostering gender equality for the state’s women?