Davos 2024: India sets up alliance for 'Global Good-Gender Equity and Equality'

WEF Founder and Chairman Klaus Schwab offered his support to the initiative.

India has announced an alliance for Global Good-Gender Equity and Equality, reiterating its commitment to women-led development.

The idea of the alliance emerged from the G20 leaders’ declaration and India’s commitment to women-led development as propounded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, women and child development minister Smriti Irani said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 18.

"Prime Minister Modi has not only given a high growth rate and contained inflation but has also ensured food security to 800 million Indian citizens and also supported people overseas. This alliance is about the global good, as the name suggests," she said.

As a follow-up to the activities of the engagement group and initiatives under the G20 framework, the Business 20, Women 20 and G20 EMPOWER, the alliance would take forward the commitments of the G20 leaders for the benefit of the larger global community, the minister said.

The announcement was made at an India reception hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in the Swiss town. Irani and ministerial colleague Hardeep Singh Puri were among those who attended the reception.

The initiative also got the support of WEF founder and chairman Klaus Schwab.

CII director general Chandrajit Banerjee said the launch of the alliance in Davos was a purposeful initiative with the participation of key stakeholders.

"It represents a very proud moment for India and India Inc. and comes with a sense of great responsibility.

The Confederation of Indian Industry is committed to bringing in Industry from India and across the globe to work towards Gender Equity and Women Leadership," he said.

India’s lead in women empowerment during its presidency of G20 was well recognised and the launch of the alliance at Davos was yet another opportunity to converge stakeholders to make the world a better place for women, CII President R Dinesh said.