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00:00You may not know, but it is said that if women entrepreneurs in India were given the same
00:05opportunities as men, the GDP of this country, a GDP which we know is accelerating every
00:12year, would increase by 27%.
00:16Why would we ignore such an opportunity?
00:19Let's seize that opportunity and make it happen.
00:24So let, as we gather here in this beautiful setting, remember the widows in India who
00:32have had to suffer so much through no fault of their own.
00:38Some are in abject poverty, some are in less poverty, but still have to struggle because
00:43of the social stigma.
00:46Our mission is to change that social and cultural attitude, but it's also to ensure that each
00:54and every woman has the ability to reach her potential, to become, as that wonderful young
01:03woman put it, not beneficiaries, but leaders, contributors, people who will make a difference.
01:12Everyone here tonight, I know, shares that compassion and commitment to make the world
01:19a better place, to make a world where widows are not merely survivors, but empowered individuals
01:27contributing in full to their communities and to economic development of this great
01:37country.
01:39Thank you for your support, and let's make it a million, guys.
01:48Thank you, Ms. Blair, for those inspiring words, and there's one thing which for sure
01:53I'm taking back, and that is there's nothing you can't do if you continue to strive just
01:59the way that you and Lord Lumba did to get UN to declare Widows Day, and June 23rd was
02:06declared as that, so that is something which we all, and I think each one of us being here
02:11makes us a stakeholder in this, and we have to strive not only to make sure that every
02:17widow is part of a working force, but every woman is empowered.
02:23So let's try and take that action and go forward.
02:28As we come to the close of this extraordinary evening, I want to take a moment to reflect
02:33on the significance of what we have witnessed here today.
02:37This is more than an event, it is a call to action, a commitment to empower, and a promise
02:43to create lasting change.
02:46To our distinguished guests, partners, and supporters, your presence tonight is a testament
02:52to your dedication to building a brighter and more inclusive future for widows.
02:58Together, we are not just imagining change, we are making it happen.
03:03Your unwavering support ignites hope and fuels this transformative journey.
03:08To mark this momentous occasion, I now invite all our key stakeholders to join us on stage
03:14for a final group photograph, a snapshot of unity, purpose, and progress.