India today called on Parliaments across the globe to exercise gender-sensitiveness and enact progressive legislations offering maximum avenues for women to flourish in all walks of life. Inaugurating a 2-day meeting of Women Speakers of Parliaments in New Delhi, President Pranab Mukherjee said that sustainable economic and social development can best be spearheaded by well-designed initiatives involving women leaders.

Mr Mukherjee said, gender sensitive Parliaments will have greater success in achieving gender equality and prioritising subjects important to women. Speaking on the ocassion, Vice President Hamid Ansari underlined the need for creating a level playing field where women enjoy equality of opportunity and freedom of expression to realise their full potential.

Speaker of the Lok Sabha Mrs. Meira Kumar said, gender sensitive parliaments must encourage the society to unleash its full potential by offering maximum avenues for women to flourish, receive quality education, gain knowledge and cultivate their skills. She also cautioned that a nation that supresses women and discriminates against them suffers irreparable loss. The Loksabha speaker said, the role of Parliaments as beacons of democracy and custodians of people's will is critical in propelling socital transformation.

President of Inter-Parliamentary Union, Abdelwahad Radi said, through women's participation, society can be transformed in general and institutions of governance in particular, to achieve greater equality and equity.