Ranchi, Mar 12 (PTI) Union Minister Annapurna Devi set a milestone by becoming the first woman Union minister from Jharkhand to address the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Addressing the 69th CSW, the Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister underlined the government's resolve to ensure that every woman and girl has access to their rights and entitlements.

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"Welfare of women and children is at the core of our nation's progress. Through a multi-pronged approach, we are working towards a future where every woman is empowered and every child is nurtured in a safe and supportive environment," the minister said.

"It is an honour and a privilege to represent India at the 69th CSW. My journey from Jharkhand to this global platform strengthens my commitment to women and child welfare, echoing India's vision on the world stage," she told PTI.

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A central team led by the minister is participating in the session, which began on March 10.

"Union Minister WCD Annapurna Devi sets a milestone as the first woman Union Minister from Jharkhand to address the 69th CSW at the United Nations and deliver the national statement representing India," the Ministry of WCD said in a post on X.

CSW is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality, rights and empowerment of women.

"She highlighted the progress of India on gender equality, addressing the 12 critical areas of concern with a transformative 'whole-of-government' and 'whole-of-society' approach for empowering women across all walks of life," a statement from the Ministry of WCD said on Wednesday.

She spoke about the transformative impact of flagship schemes, which have significantly contributed to improving health, nutrition, education and economic opportunities for women and children.

Devi reaffirmed the Centre's commitment and participated in the ministerial roundtable addressing the priority theme on national mechanisms for gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.

The session saw large-scale participation from all UN member states, intergovernmental organisations, private sector, philanthropists, academia, civil society, women's collectives, and UN agencies, the statement said.

She held bilateral meetings with leaders including Melrose Karminty (Sierra Leone), Sodyq S. Safoev (Uzbekistan), Vindhya Persaud (Guyana), and Antonia Orellana Guarello (Chile) to strengthen cooperation on gender equality and social welfare.

A functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the forthcoming session of the Commission is underway from March 10 March 21.

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