Jaipur, April 9 : In a symbolic gesture highlighting womenâ??s empowerment, former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje ensured that only women occupied the stage during the â??Nari Shakti Vandanâ?? programme in Banswara.â??

Emphasising the spirit of the event, she appealed to male leaders present on the stage to vacate their seats and extend their support to women.

â??This programme is dedicated to Nari Shakti. I request my brothers to support us by giving space to women,â?? Raje said. â??

In response to her appeal, all male leaders seated on stage stepped down and joined the audience. Women participants who had been seated below were then invited onto the stage. â??

Raje later expressed her gratitude to the male leaders for their cooperation and gesture of respect.â??

Addressing the gathering at the BJP office, Raje said the programme was being organised under the guidance of the partyâ??s national leadership and was launched from the sacred land of Goddess Tripura Sundari, revered as a symbol of supreme power.â??

She underlined the cultural and spiritual significance of beginning this initiative on this land. â??

â??This programme has been organised under the directives of our National President, Nitin Nabin, and is being launched from the sacred land of Goddess Tripura Sundari, the embodiment of supreme power,â?? she said.

â??Raje described the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam as a mark of self-respect for women and expressed her gratitude to PM Modi, under whose leadership the Parliament approved the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in 2023. Through this legislation, women will receive a 33 per cent reservation in the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies, she said.

â??Highlighting recent legislative developments, Raje described the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam as a symbol of dignity for women across the country.

â??She explained that the law provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, which would ensure greater participation of women in governance and decision-making.

â??â??With this step, women will have a decisive role in shaping the nationâ??s future,â?? she said.

â??Encouraging active political participation, Raje urged women not to treat politics as a part-time activity but as a full-time commitment to public service.

â??Ending her speech on a lighter note, she remarked that while 33 per cent of women would now help run the country, men might have to take greater responsibility at home.â??

/IANS