India cannot progress towards a Viksit Bharat unless the challenges faced by its women are addressed, said External Affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday.

Chairing a session on ‘Celebrating Women’s Leadership and Influence – Nari Shakti’ at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here, the EAM said the challenges that women face are age-old and deeply percolated into Indian culture and society. “It starts at birth and boils down to the discussion on who has the claim over the resources of a family. That is where the deepest discrimination is practised,” Jaishankar said.

Women are 50 per cent of India’s talent and the challenges they face, are 50 per cent of India’s problems.