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Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today stressed that women empowerment was a must for the country's development and called upon them to identify their strength.
"Women would have to identify their strength and become self reliant to improve the future of their families and the country," Gandhi said at a meeting with aanganwadi workers and women self-help group members at Sarai Shekh village of Chinhat on the outskirts of Lucknow.
Gandhi, who formally kicked off his party's campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state today, said through self-help groups lakhs of women had found employment and were making important contribution to their family income.
During the meeting, aanganwadi workers raised the issue of delay in payment of their honorarium. Promising help, Gandhi asked them to come forward and fight for their cause.
Later, Gandhi visited the Deva Shareef dargah in Barabanki district and was accorded warm welcome by Congress activists all along the route.
