Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla addressing the first National Conference of Parliamentary and Legislative Committees on Empowerment of Women in Tirupati on Monday.

The two-day national conference on parliamentary and legislative committees on women's empowerment concluded in Tirupati on Monday with a strong call to scale up investments in women's health, education, skills, and entrepreneurship to unlock their full potential.

At the valedictory session, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said empowering women is not just a social or moral imperative, but also an "economic necessity." By equipping women across sectors, India, he noted, can unlock a vast reservoir of human capital and build a resilient, inclusive model of development.

Democracy as a civilisational value

The event coincided with International Day of Democracy. On the occasion, Mr. Birla described Indian democracy as "not just a political arrangement, but a civilisational value and a way of life." India, celebrated as the "Mother of Democracy," has historically upheld the principles of equality, dialogue, and participation, with democratic traditions deeply embedded in the nation's cultural and social fabric.

Gender-responsive budgeting

Stressing the importance of gender-responsive budgeting, the Speaker said it should go beyond financial allocations to evolve into a socio-economic model that integrates women's needs into core developmental policy.

He called for institutionalising Gender Budget Cells across all Union ministries and State departments to ensure resources are directed effectively. He emphasised the need for higher allocations to women's healthcare, education, skills, entrepreneurship, and access to credit, supported by robust monitoring through gender-disaggregated data. Such measures, he said, would better align national priorities with the aspirations of women and accelerate equitable growth.

The deliberations culminated in the unanimous adoption of the 'Tirupati Resolution,' which lays down a roadmap for advancing women's empowerment by strengthening institutional and technical capacity and applying a gender lens across governance structures at both national and State levels.

The resolution called for bridging the digital divide, enabling women to thrive in STEM fields, and ensuring their safety in cyberspace. It also underlined the need to expand digital literacy and recognise women not merely as consumers of technology but as creators and innovators.

By adopting the resolution, participants reaffirmed their commitment to transform policy intent into actionable strategies that place women at the centre of India's development agenda.

Women's empowerment an economic necessity, says Lok Sabha Speaker