First meeting of Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians' regional unit to be held in Bengaluru

A special conference of the Indian Regional Unit of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians will be held in Bengaluru city on November 17 and 18. According to a report by The Hindu, the conference will be inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. This information was provided by Assembly Speaker G.S. Patil and Legislative Council Chairman Saleem Ahmed during a press conference held in Bengaluru on Monday. They stated that this type of conference is being organised in the country for the first time.

The event is being jointly organised by the Indian Parliament and the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. Approximately 150 women MPs, women speakers of assemblies, and women MLAs from various states are expected to participate in this conference.

The main theme of the conference has been kept as “Safe Foundations, Strong Voices: Cyber Safety and Mentorship Pathways for New Women Legislators”. G.S. Patil stated that the primary objective of this conference is to ensure the cyber security of women legislators in the digital age. Additionally, issues related to institutional support and mentorship for first-time elected members of state legislatures will also be discussed.

During the conference, serious issues such as online harassment of women elected representatives, false propaganda spread through fake accounts, and cyber crimes will be deliberated upon. Furthermore, discussions will be held on establishing a system through which senior members can guide new women legislators. This guidance will include important aspects such as the functioning of legislatures, law-making, policy formulation, effective participation in debates, and leadership.

Mr. Patil further added that this conference to be held in Bengaluru will prove to be a significant initiative in the country's parliamentary history, as it will bring women MPs and MLAs onto a common platform to discuss issues related to their participation in the legislative process. On the other hand, Saleem Ahmed stated that in the context of the challenges women elected representatives are facing in current times, the theme of this conference is extremely relevant and pertinent.