In Conversation with Shri Arvind Kejriwal Hon’ble Chief Minister, Delhi

FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) organised an interactive session with Shri Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of Delhi on December 13, 2019 at FICCI. FLO organised this exclusive interaction to understand from him about his extraordinary and aspirational journey as an ‘outsider’ to becoming an integral part of the political system in Delhi and his transition from an activist to a political leader.

While addressing the entrepreneurs and professionals of FLO, Mr Kejriwal said, “Within 4-5 years we will provide 24 hours water supply and clean water in your taps.” Highlighting the future plans of Delhi, Mr Kejriwal said that women empowerment and women safety will be one of the most important priority of the government. FLO President, Harjinder Kaur Talwar said, “Our vision is to be the thought leader for working women of India, their voice for policy change and a guardian of their interests. FLO would like to be an integral part of the developmental agenda and growth process by contributing effectively towards making Delhi a better and safer place for everyone, especially women.”

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that the Delhi government will administer pledge to male students at all schools and colleges to behave well with girls and not indulge in crimes against women. He further said mothers and sisters need to talk to boys that they will not accept them at home if they do wrong to women. Under the initiative, a one-hour classroom discussion on respecting women will be conducted.

Regarding Pollution Control, he said the stubble can be converted into CNG and coal and infact, this is a good business opportunity which could be taken up the women entrepreneurs. Also, the government is tying up with a Washington Lab to know the exact causes of pollution during various time periods of the year. “Once we know the cause, then only we can work towards it”, he said FLO submitted a set of recommendations on Menstrual Hygiene Management, based on a study conducted by FLO. This study gives us key entry points on the issue of menstrual health in India and critical points where the intervention of the government and the private players are necessary. The study has been collected with the sample size of 1000 women from Delhi NCR from various age groups and majority of whom belonged into the income groups below 30000 rupees.

In the words of Ms Harjinder kaur Talwar, “In our continuous engagement with women in our initiatives, we have come across a very pertinent issue which deters women empowerment is the lack of proper sanitation and poor menstrual hygiene, especially in the grassroots and the urban poor sections.”

Stigmatisation has produced an immense gap in knowledge about menstruation and hygienic practices among women and girls, leading to increased health risks, absence from school and work, and loss of dignity. Ms Talwar added, “Being one of the most recognised business organisation catering to women empowerment, it is pertinent that FLO plays a critical role in bridging this gap.” A key recommendation in this aspect is to include it under the item category of necessary drugs and medical equipments. This will not only promote the rational use of sanitary pads but also will impact on regulating the procurement and supply along with reasonable pricing and ensuring quality control.

Secondly, FLO also suggested that ‘JANAUSHADHI SUVIDHA’, the Oxo-biodegradable Sanitary Napkin, that was introduced by the government can be made available in Mohalla Clinics in addition to Janaushadhi Kendras. This will ensure that people have both awareness about this pad and have access to it. At the same time, FLO made an appeal to the private sector to join hands with the government to help women convert into self-help groups and manufacture sanitary pads. FLO is willing to lead the way with support from the government to create a sustainable model for helping women in this process and we are hopeful that such a positive PPP model would improve the state of affairs for menstrual health in India.

Outside the purview of the menstrual Hygiene Management, FLO would like to set forward recommendations for rewriting the laws affecting women to ensure economic participation of women at all levels, to cater to the needs of the changing times. Ms Talwar said, “India has made significant economic progress in recent decades, however, it has not been matched by progress towards women’s equal economic participation. FLO would like work alongside the Delhi Government for a new normative framework that redefines and rewrites and rules governing women’s economic participation.”