Sumitra Mahajan also stressed on inclusiveness in development to make it sustainable.
Active involvement of women parliamentarians in the development process will result in meaningful and inclusive growth, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said today.
"As development partners, we can involve citizens in the process of development and can also strengthen innovative partnerships with civil society organisations to scrutinise and assess the effectiveness of various government programmes.
"Therefore, active involvement of our women parliamentarians in the process will result in a greater responsiveness towards citizen's needs and will lead to greater harmony, meaningful development and inclusive growth," Ms Mahajan remarked at the valedictory session of BRICS Women Parliamentarians' Forum.
She also stressed on inclusiveness in development to make it sustainable and effective while underlining the role of laws and legislations to achieve sustainable development.
Noting that the members of parliament are a better interface between citizens and government, the Lok Sabha Speaker said, sustainable development can be brought about by this interface and also through laws and legislations.
"Development must be inclusive if it is to be equitable, sustainable and effective.
"Therefore mainstreaming equity is vital for ameliorating the socio-economic conditions of people within the framework of sustainable development," she said, while pointing that women have natural instinct towards development and progress.
Talking about the Sustainable Development Goals, she said that the 17 goals and 169 associated targets have the potential to transform the future.
"It must be our endeavour to achieve these goals in our own interest and in the global interest as well. As law makers, it is our responsibility to oversee and monitor the implementation strategies and mechanisms of the SDGs put in place by our respective Governments," she noted.
Ms Mahajan said climate change affects humanity as a whole but developing countries also have their own challenges to deal with.