The joint press conference on the CWP India Regional Conference at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru, on Monday. Image: DIPR
Bengaluru: Bengaluru will host the special conference of the India Regional Branch of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) on November 17 and 18, the first conference of its kind in India, Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker G.S. Patil and Legislative Council Chairman Salim Ahmed said. The CWP India Regional Conference will bring together women legislators from across the country.
They announced the details at a joint press conference in the conference room on the first floor of Vidhana Soudha on Monday. The two-day conference is being organised in coordination with the Parliament of India and the Karnataka Legislature, with the cooperation of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
About 150 delegates, including women MPs, women presiding officers, deputy speakers, MLAs and Legislative Council members from various states and Union Territories, are expected to attend. International delegates of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association will also take part.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar will take part in the inaugural ceremony on November 17 and launch the conference. Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Speaker G.S. Patil, Council Chairman Salim Ahmed, Deputy Chief Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara, CWP India Regional Branch Chairperson Dr. D. Purandeswari, presiding officers and deputy presiding officers, ministers, Opposition leaders and other dignitaries are also expected to attend.
The conference will be held under the theme “Safe Foundations, Strong Voices: Cyber Safety and Mentorship Pathways for New Women Legislators”. Its main objectives are to ensure the safety of women legislators in the digital age and to discuss the guidance and institutional support needed by women elected to legislatures for the first time.
Discussions will cover the digital empowerment of women, cyber safety, harassment of women on social media, the challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfake technology, and the protection of women legislators’ personal information and privacy. Awareness and safety measures against online abuse, defamation through fake accounts and cyber crimes faced by women in public life will also be discussed.
Mentorship for new women legislators is another key subject. Experienced legislators will share guidance on House procedure, law-making, policy formulation, effective participation in parliamentary debates, leadership skills and the use of technology in the functioning of legislatures. The conference will also discuss ways to enable the exchange of knowledge and experience between experienced and new women legislators and to boost the confidence of first-time representatives.
Patil said the conference, bringing women legislators from different states onto one platform, will be an important step in India’s parliamentary history. “The real strength of democracy lies in the effective participation of women. Along with increasing women’s representation, their leadership in law-making and governance must also be strengthened. The Bengaluru conference will be an important platform for exchanging new ideas, good legislative practices and experiences,” he said. “Karnataka hosting such an important national conference is a matter of pride,” he added.
Salim Ahmed said digital technology has created new opportunities for women but also brought serious challenges such as cyber harassment, online abuse, deepfakes and misuse of personal information. “There is a need to give greater priority to the digital safety of women in public life. It is highly relevant that women legislators from across the country discuss this on one platform,” he said. “Continuous training, research and technological support are needed to improve legislative understanding among women legislators. Best practices that help women work more effectively in legislatures will be discussed at this conference, and I am confident the discussions will guide future legislative reforms,” he added.
A special curtain-raiser programme will be held in Bengaluru on November 14, where Chief Minister Shivakumar and CWP India Regional Branch Chairperson Dr. D. Purandeswari will unveil the official poster of the conference.
The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians network, part of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, works to promote women’s political representation, parliamentary leadership and gender equality. Patil and Salim Ahmed expressed confidence that the conference, with about 150 delegates, will become a platform for national-level dialogue, cooperation and exchange of experiences among women legislators.
Assembly Secretary Vishalakshi and Council Secretary Jyothi were present at the press conference.
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