Social welfare minister Parveen Amanullah and (left) ADRA India director Rafael Garcia at the seminar on Sunday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, March 4: Women will be empowered only if they are allowed to learn skills and become independent, said social worker Rafael Garcia at a seminar to mark International Women’s Day on March 8.

The seminar, organised at a city hotel by non-government organisation Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA), India, focused on education, health and empowerment opportunities for women.

Garcia, the country director of ADRA, India, said: “Skill building is a pre-requisite for the empowerment of women, who should be allowed to play a significant role in the development process. For this, they should be provided training in different income-generating activities.”

Garcia also said he has three daughters and he had made it a point to help them cultivate some skills that would allow them to become self-dependent. “I have three daughters and all of them are gaining new skills. They are doctor, teacher and communications executive.”

Garcia added: “Women are a very important part of their family and society. However, many of them don’t have proper access to education and healthcare. This is a problem in our contemporary society.”

Social welfare minister Parveen Amanullah spoke about various welfare schemes — Mukhyamantri Kanya Suraksha Yojana and Mukhyamantri Nari Shakti Yojana — initiated by the state government. She said: “Though the state government has initiated many schemes for the welfare of the state government, a lot still needs to be done.”

Social workers associated with tuberculosis (TB) prevention programmes at the grassroots-level shared their experience. A film on tuberculosis was also shown. Dr B.K. Mishra, an official associated with various TB programmes in the state, spoke about various problems faced by female tuberculosis patients.