New Delhi, January 16, 2021.

The 2nd edition of the National Women's Parliament (NWP) 2021 was successfully concluded at MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) in Pune. Organized in partnership with the MIT School of Government, the four-day virtual conference was held from 11th to 14th January 2021 and the theme of the conference was: "Women in Leadership 4.0: Power, Progress & Change."

The NWP 2021 was graced by business leaders, NGOs owners, political leaders, sports personalities and celebrities from all over the country. The Conference witnessed more than 71 speakerswith 11 sessions and was attended by more than 3500 participants.

This year's theme was articulated with the aim of promoting women's social, political and economic equality in all strata of society and facilitating dialogue between women of diverse backgrounds. Women from politics, social sector, education, sports, corporate, media, arts and culture, judiciary and young aspiring girl students came together to stage their experiences and share their knowledge in the areas of women’s social,economic and political empowerment.

The inaugural session was addressed by the Chief Guest,Sushree Debasree Chaudhuri - Hon'ble Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Govt. of India, Dr. Mallika Sarabhai - Padma Bhushan, Legendary Dancer, Founder, Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, Smt. Renuka Singh Saruta - Hon'ble Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Govt. of India, Dr. Diya Kumari - Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha (BJP, Rajsamand, Rajasthan), The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC – The Secretary-General of The Commonwealth, Smt. Anandiben Patel -  Hon'ble Governor of Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh, Former Chief Minister, Gujarat and Sushree Uma Bharati -  National Vice President - BJP, Former Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Govt. of India, Former Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh.

SmtAnandiben Patel, Hon'ble Governor of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, Former CM, Gujarat, said, “It is an honour to be a part of the 2nd National Women’s Parliament 2021. Women are an institution in themselves. Woman empowerment is an important step towards the progress of our nation. They are an important part of our workforce, who contribute to our nation’s prosperity. If more women are educated, we will be able to eradicate many ill social practices in our society such as, the dowry system. I am pleased to know that MIT World Peace University’s initiative of the National Women’s Parliament platform recognizes the extraordinary contributions of women in the different sectors of our society.”

The four-day virtual conference was path-breaking and witnessed illustrious dignitaries like Smt. Renuka Singh Saruta - Hon'ble Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Govt. of India, Smt. Pankaja Munde-Palwe - National Secretary, BJP, Former Minister for Rural Development, Women & Child Development, Govt. of Maharashtra & Former Guardian Minister for Beed, Shri. Kailash Kher – Padma Shri, Playback Singer, Music Composer, Ms. Usha Uthup – Playback Singer, Shri. Salim Merchant – Music Director along with other dignitaries. The NWP was inspired by Revered Prof. Dr. Vishwanath Karad and with patronage of Noted Gandhian Smt. Ela Bhatt and has been conceptualised and convened under the dynamic leadership of eminent educationist, Shri Rahul V Karad.

Organised under Chief of Organising Committee Smt. Ritu Chhabria,Co-Founder & Managing Trustee, Mukul Madhav Foundation & Former Chairperson - FICCI FLO, Pune, & Director, Finolex Industries Limited, along with Dr. Shailashree Haridas, Dean - Commerce, Economics & Law, MIT-WPU, the conference objective was to provide a forum for women of diverse backgrounds to illustrate and debate gender-specific issues.

Shri. Rahul V. Karad – Managing Trustee & Executive President, MAEER’s MIT and Executive President, MIT World Peace University, said,“Though we are the largest democracy, women in India find themselves under-represented and far-removed from decision-making levels even after seven decades of being a democracy. As a university that believes in universal value-based education, we consider it our prime responsibility to lead this change towards women empowerment. Through the National Women’s Parliament, we are providing an apolitical platform for women from diverse backgrounds to highlight their gender specific issues. Women from politics, social sector, education, sports, corporate, media, arts and culture, judiciary and young aspiring girl students come together to stage their experiences, share knowledge and research in the area of women’s social, economic and political empowerment. This is India’s platform which will help steer our society’s mind-set towards women empowerment and help young girl students realize their potential.”