Sumitra Mahajan calls women 'good managers'

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Sunday described women as "good managers" despite having no management degree and stressed that they have the strength to perform both within and outside their homes.

The Speaker further emphasised that for the development of the nation, it was important that women should be empowered and they should realise their strength.

"Kirron ji (the Chandigarh MP) has rightly said when a woman comes out of her home for work, she has to work double. Men though say they are also doing the same way, I do not feel a man will say with pride that he also works at home," Mahajan said while addressing a women workers' summit organised by Bharat Vikas Parishad here today.

"I say you (women) are a very good manager without giving any examination of management. You do not realize you are a good manager, because we ourselves say we do nothing. Being housewife means, I am nothing. You first get this thought out of your mind, because you do a lot," said Mahajan.

She praised women for handling their whole families after marriage.

"You join a new family after leaving your own and do not only you blend with them but also consider every family member your own. You also adopt their culture.. the way you adopt the new family it looks like you have been doing it for several years.

"The way you adopt the (new) family... take care of each member of the family and try to do according to the likes of each family member, is full management and you do it and you do not make anybody realise that you are doing it," she said.

She also cited an example of a Member of Parliament who had once told her that he managed to complete his studies because of the support of his wife.

"It does not mean that men do not recognise women contribution, but the sensitivity is also essential," she said.

Recalling Swami Vivekananda's observation that a bird needs to have both its wings strong to fly, she said: "If one wing of a bird is strong and other is not, it cannot fly.."

Lok Sabha Speaker said, "Women is also part of the society and could also give her opinion (on various matters). Unless the mother of a house is intelligent, the family could not become wise."

Addressing the gathering, Mahajan underscored the need of women equipping themselves with the knowledge to guide their children in selecting right career.

"A mother knows what her child eats and whenever he or she is hungry, the child goes to her mother. I will consider a woman a successful mother if her son or daughter seeks her advice for making the right career choice also," she said.

"You have the strength to perform because you have the power to recognise what is to be done. You recognise it and perform it. You should also have the self-confidence that yes 'I can'," said the Lok Sabha Speaker.

Talking about the pilgrimages, Mahajan said a pilgrim could not derive the real contentment if one reaches the temple or shrine through modern means of transport like a helicopter.

"I do not consider it 'darshan' of god when we use a helicopter to reach a shrine. When we assume big posts in our lives, I feel we do not get real 'darshan' of god. In 'VIP Darshan', we feel we saw the idol, but it's not 'real darshan'.

"Because, it is necessary to go through some hardship to reach the doors of god... I feel I do not get blessings of pilgrims who are standing in a queue for hours for their turns whenever I am provided VIP facility to undertake the pilgrimage," she said.